Parents
A brief word tonight in praise of parents.....
I am reaching that age now, the age when most people are beginning to realize the value of having a friendship with their parents. We begin life thinking that the world begins and ends with our parents. They do everything that matters in our worlds. Then we hit this point when suddenly we want to be as far away from them as humanly possible, and any effort they make to try to reach out and connect with us just makes it worse. So much worse.
Then, after college, there is a softening of tensions. You're able to sit down and have a beer with your parents. You're able to carry on civilized discussions, to a point. They become your parents again.
And then, if you're really lucky, they begin to help you. Parents have this innate ability that astounds me. They take the parts of you that you have forgotten over the years, the parts that get lost in the shuffle of friends, significant others, school, jobs, and everything else that happens to you in your life. They take those things and keep them in their hearts until you need them. And then your parents give them back to you, just the way you left them. And they demand nothing in return.
Parents have this ability to see us as we were in addition to as we are. They notice and remember the things that we forget about ourselves. Sometimes it makes you roll your eyes to hear your parents telling you what you are like or what you should be doing. But the next time your instinct is to roll your eyes, stop for a second and listen to what they are telling you. Chances are it will take your breath away.
It also occurred to me recently that I never posted about Bonnaroo. So in the next day or so I will give you a full account (as well as I can remember it) of my adventures in Tennessee. Until then, read lots and love each other.
I am reaching that age now, the age when most people are beginning to realize the value of having a friendship with their parents. We begin life thinking that the world begins and ends with our parents. They do everything that matters in our worlds. Then we hit this point when suddenly we want to be as far away from them as humanly possible, and any effort they make to try to reach out and connect with us just makes it worse. So much worse.
Then, after college, there is a softening of tensions. You're able to sit down and have a beer with your parents. You're able to carry on civilized discussions, to a point. They become your parents again.
And then, if you're really lucky, they begin to help you. Parents have this innate ability that astounds me. They take the parts of you that you have forgotten over the years, the parts that get lost in the shuffle of friends, significant others, school, jobs, and everything else that happens to you in your life. They take those things and keep them in their hearts until you need them. And then your parents give them back to you, just the way you left them. And they demand nothing in return.
Parents have this ability to see us as we were in addition to as we are. They notice and remember the things that we forget about ourselves. Sometimes it makes you roll your eyes to hear your parents telling you what you are like or what you should be doing. But the next time your instinct is to roll your eyes, stop for a second and listen to what they are telling you. Chances are it will take your breath away.
It also occurred to me recently that I never posted about Bonnaroo. So in the next day or so I will give you a full account (as well as I can remember it) of my adventures in Tennessee. Until then, read lots and love each other.
posted by Cliff at 11:11 PM
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