Parents are Babies and I’m not very good at babysitting.

I say this all the time and everywhere, but as parents get older, they become more like children and less like adults. I’ve noticed this with my grandparents and now I’m seeing it with my mom and dad. Frankly, I want to say I’ve had enough but at the same time, it would be pretty shitty of me to discount their feelings.

One because my dad recovered from COVID, so he’s obviously going to be paranoid about everything I do now. And my mother is like a sponge who will absorb that paranoia. Together, they are a pain in the ass, but they also care.

It’s really frustrating because a) I’m 22. I’m not a baby. b) Has it been proven that mangoes actually cause a sore throat? I ate a bit of raw mango, which is why I got accused by my dad of being “mindless about the current situation” and my mom thinks I’m being callous. Wait. They’re calling me the same thing.

I just did a tiny google search about mangoes and sore throats and I haven’t found satisfactory answers. This is not my gotcha! moment to them, but I wish archaic ideas were a thing of the past and not affect what I want to eat.

Look, I’m being as nice as I can, especially to my dad and I don’t raise questions of going out at all unless I say it as a joke. Apparently, I can’t do that anymore without being accused of anything. I’m obviously not going to go out, like are we seeing the stats? Things are bad enough already and I don’t want to add to it — which is why I’m ranting here because I have to wait until Wednesday for my therapy appointment.

I can’t even say my parents are wrong, can I even tell them that they’re being too paranoid? It would be really entitled I suppose if I ranted about how stuffy I feel, which was how I was feeling this time last year when the situation wasn’t really, terribly bad.

I guess a part of growing up and growing with parents like mine is that you just either learn to zone them out or listen when they’re being panicky. Can’t even say don’t panic. Falling sick at this point would obviously drive them crazy, so I suppose they win this one. I’m wrong, they’re right. But I will go admit it later once my ego dies down a little bit.

I don’t know the point of this newsletter. I guess it’s to say maybe you should listen to them or maybe…. I don’t even know at this point.

As always, I’m leaving you all with some recommendations, but this time as books!

1. Circe by Madeline Miller: Deals with how Gods are just dicks to their children, will subject said children to unreachable standards and banish them for not meeting it. Circe weaves a beautiful tale of a supposedly ugly daughter of Helios, who banishes her to an island when she does something bad. It explores how Circe finds a way to live, outsmart Athena, and reinforces the idea that men will never be held accountable for their misdeeds, no matter their status. Powerful and thought-provoking, it makes you want to take revenge for Circe by the time you finish it.
2. Red, White and Royal Blue: Enemies to lovers. Even better, the son of the first woman president of the United States has beef with the Prince of England. The beef is one-sided, though. Terrific writing, has emotional moments, but overall enough to make you scream into your pillow out of joy (and maybe frustration. See, if you’re gay and in love, you’re automatically just prone to doing stupid things. Love is blind).
3. Little Weirds: Listen, I know a lot of blogs use this work for ~aesthetical quote posting purposes~ but it is such a comforting read. I can’t get enough of Jenny Slate. She captures all feelings perfectly, you wonder if she’s been peeking at your diary.
4. Foolish Hearts: I will not stop recommending this book. Never. It’s perfect. Claudia accidentally overhears a breakup while peeing and has to work with the one who got dumped (who is angry all the time) if she wants a good grade and meets a cute guy but Trust Issues™️, high school romcom-angst but make it good representation. If I say any more I will spoil the book but some keywords: wholesome, heartbreaking, tear-jerking, finally a YA novel that isn’t shitty.

That’s it! I will now spend some time figuring out how to apologize to my parents and proceed to live out of my room like some hermit crab henceforth. I feel like I need to uh. work on some stuff, otherwise I will just be saying things and doing things and the repercussions will hit me in the face with a hot frying pan later. Not what I want, so…… healthy coping mechanism, here I come????