Thought for today:
"The greatest of all parental struggles I feel is when a mother and father watch their children step out into the world without a safety net. This happens at various stages of their development and however much we try to be happy with it, it seems to be our purpose in their lives to worry on their behalf.
We worry when they stay out late for their first dance; when they leave home for the first time to take up university digs and when they walk down that marriage aisle, particularly if it's with a partner of their dreams that your experience shouts out, 'Nightmare! Nightmare! It will all end in tears.' We worry when we have to sit back and watch them make their mistakes, just as we did before them. In short; when they are children we encourage their independence, but as they grow older, we try to restrain it 'for their own good' or grant them their independence reluctantly, tied up with strings attatched.
When I was young and had committed some wrongful act that demanded being admonished and was feeling bad about myself, my mother would always place her arms around my shoulders and remind me of her'Mother's Mantra'. She would say, 'Through hell and high water , rain or shine, I'm your mum and I'll always be there for you; I love you. don't you ever forget that!' I never did and she always was! 'If necessary son, I would die for you, but I will never live for you. We all deserve our independence.'" Happy Independence Day." William Forde: July 4th, 2013.
"The greatest of all parental struggles I feel is when a mother and father watch their children step out into the world without a safety net. This happens at various stages of their development and however much we try to be happy with it, it seems to be our purpose in their lives to worry on their behalf.
We worry when they stay out late for their first dance; when they leave home for the first time to take up university digs and when they walk down that marriage aisle, particularly if it's with a partner of their dreams that your experience shouts out, 'Nightmare! Nightmare! It will all end in tears.' We worry when we have to sit back and watch them make their mistakes, just as we did before them. In short; when they are children we encourage their independence, but as they grow older, we try to restrain it 'for their own good' or grant them their independence reluctantly, tied up with strings attatched.
When I was young and had committed some wrongful act that demanded being admonished and was feeling bad about myself, my mother would always place her arms around my shoulders and remind me of her'Mother's Mantra'. She would say, 'Through hell and high water , rain or shine, I'm your mum and I'll always be there for you; I love you. don't you ever forget that!' I never did and she always was! 'If necessary son, I would die for you, but I will never live for you. We all deserve our independence.'" Happy Independence Day." William Forde: July 4th, 2013.
