How fitting, wouldn't you say! I have been having a lot of "issues" with my Parents over the past 2 years and during this time I have heard them harp on how DISRESPECTFUL my Hubby and Myself are to them. I don't really know what their definition of Disrespectful is, because, frankly, I think that if nothing else, we have been nothing but respectful. They have tried to run our show on this entire project and by us voicing our opinions/wants/dreams- we are acting disrespectfully towards them. I still feel anger and laughter by this because these past two years have been nothing short of HELL and they have no idea that they are behind that agony.
I have in the past perhaps been disrespectful towards my parents. I used to fight with my Mom constantly, to the point that I HAD TO MOVE OUT to help both of our sanity. We just never got along. I think it has something to do with the Controlling aspects of her personality, if I might say. I don't like to be controlled. Amazing, right! I like to make my own mistakes, live my own life, experience things for myself. I have never been one to not do something because they told me not to. I was 18 and I had a set of wheels- but it really wasn't mine- it was still my parents and my Mom never let me forget it. Well, I was working, and I really wanted my OWN car. I was paying for my gas and insurance and really wanted the added responsibility of a car payment- I know, dumb kid, right! My Mom wanted to sell the car I was driving, so we went to look at Chevy Cavaliers. She was so NOT on board. She just wanted to harp about how good I have it and she is making sure that I don't have to have this type of responsibility. I had to BEG and she was still adamant, NO! Well, then there was my OLD Dad. I say that because the Dad I had then was not the Dad I have now. He is the same man- just not the same guy I grew up with... He was all for it- he even stepped up to co-sign for me when my Mom said NO.
That was the BEST thing I ever did! Yes, I had bills. Yes, I had to work. But it made me work harder, I knew I had to pay those bills. Plus, I no longer gave my Mom the leverage of holding the car over my head. I did great with it, made every payment and at the end of my Lease Agreement, I handed the keys over and walked away, into another car payment and a car that I got all on my own!
I guess, in a way, I had Disrespected my Mom in this case. But, I also bettered myself in the process. I prepared myself, handled my responsibilities and even made the way for how i handle my bills/responsibilities today.
This is tough to handle thinking of myself as a Parent though. I only have a 5 YO and 2 YO, but they are growing up everyday. I am at the stage where we are "learning" what is respectful and disrespectful. I have been trying to teach my 5yo to watch her tone and attitude and instilling in her that she would not like for me to talk to her like that so therefore she should talk to me how she would like me to talk to her. I think that the whole respect thing does go both ways. After all, right now, I am the example.
Let's see where we are in 5 more years with Disrespecting Parents- me being the Parent!!!
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