Ten Lessons My Father Taught Me About Being the Parent of Adult Children
Because he knew he had to let us find our own way in life
Sometimes I wonder what my father thought as he walked me down the aisle at my first wedding.
Did he know that my marriage was doomed? Did he have reservations about my first husband?
Was he glad when it ended?
I’ll never know his opinions about this because he never said one word to me.
What about when he walked my sister down the aisle? Her marriage lasted twenty-four years longer than mine, yet the relationship was full of turmoil. If my father was aware of what was happening in my sister’s life, he didn’t interfere. He never talked about her husband, at least not to me. But he was there when she needed him. He knew that she had to make her own decisions about her marriage.
My father taught me some valuable lessons.
1. You have to let your children make their own decisions. It’s hard to stand by and do this because you have your own ideas about the decisions they should make.
2. You cannot offer advice unless they ask for it. That’s the hardest thing to do. It’s hard to ignore the years of experience you have under your belt. But remember, wisdom…
