Our Parents' Mistake

The explanation you won’t listen to.
In place of the apology I won’t give.
And because I had to have my say.

- - -

It’s been said that children follow in the footsteps that their parents thought they’d long covered up.

I’ve watched some kids embrace that mentality with abandon:
‘Let our parents preach to us about what not to do,
and let us anyway live it up – as we know they did too.
(And by the time our kids grow we’ll tell them what not to
– and yet sure enough they will do what they wish to do.)’

Talk about repeating your parents’ mistakes!

Where’s the parenting? Isn’t life about learning our lessons, and passing those worthwhile insights onto our youth? Don’t we wish for a better life for our children?

Certainly we can live life with no thought of tomorrow, and then switch sides when we see the folly of our ways. Or when we decide that we do wish for more for our kids. But in truth what message are we sending?

There is always the alternative. Having a life infused with love, and just the right amount of fun and spirituality. A life that you can reasonably expect your kids to emulate. Because really, what is it with all the preaching, and what is the value of our life’s experience – if we can’t pass it on to our children and teach by example.

And then there is the added bliss of being able to compliment our kids, take pride in the success and share in their fun as we watch them live life to the fullest.

- - -

And just an observation. You and I – we live the same lives.
I just live it openly and in spite of the community’s say, I believe that what I do is right. And I teach that to my kids too. ‘It’s not how others judge – but what you know to be right.’

You’re living the same life. You just hide it from your kids, from your family, from the community – because you believe somehow that you’re being a rebel.

Which is fine, except that such behavior practically encourages rebellion in your kids. Or at least sets them up for it.