When I Accepted My Parents For The Way They Are
I can choose my friends but not my family
Ever heard the phrase, “You choose your friends but not your family?”
For years, I thought I needed to get along with my parents, that I needed to constantly strive for their acceptance and approval. I idolized my relationship with them, thinking our interactions didn’t always have to end up with disappointment or hurt feelings.
However, I’ve come to terms that I don’t have to like them but I can still love them. I can learn to accept them for who they are.
To be honest, my parents are limited in their desire to learn and grow. They are human, an older human than me. They’ve had more time on earth, doing the same things, getting the same results.
Therefore, they are more set in their ways and their minds are more closed off than mine. Depending on their level of emotional intelligence and their ability to connect with me, I absolutely cannot control and/or change who they are.
When I had to accept my dad for who he is.
Before I went on maternity leave, I was in the midst of co-authoring a book chapter with some researchers in the UK. I was determined to do this despite…
