Parenting doesn’t end - it evolves. I used to carry my son,
now he carries himself. My son found out that having his own place comes with,
um…responsibilities.
My son called me the other day and said, “Ma, something is
wrong with my house; I left a pizza box and a glass on the table when I went to
bed. When I woke up the next morning they were still there. There was no magic fairly
like at your house?”
There was a giggle in my voice when I said, “thank you for
finally understanding. I was growing weary, cleaning and straightening things behind
you.”
I let my son in on a few secrets about having his own place,
here they are:
1.
The dishwasher is still not self-loading.
2.
Toilet paper doesn’t magically appear – someone has
to buy it, that is ow you.
3.
Groceries vanish quickly – you don’t have to eat
everything in one day.
4.
The trash doesn’t take itself out – it just sits
there… judging you.
5.
Cooking for one – somehow creates enough dirty
dishes for a family of six.
After chatting with my son, I came up with a list of
epiphanies young adults stumble upon as they’re figuring out life. Here’s the
list:
1.
Adulthood doesn’t come with a manual – you just
improvise and Google a lot.
2. Time is more valuable than money – my son was
reminded of this on an occasion where he went in person to apply for a job. He
showed up to the location as instructed, the parking lot was empty except for a
couple of cars. As he entered the industrial type building, he was met with
empty hallways and had to determine which door to approach.
He selected a door, pressed a buzzer, and
someone appeared with a clipboard and a form for him to complete. The staff
person left, then returned after my son completed the form. She told my son, “Thank
you, we’ll send you an email.”
My son left the office with unanswered
questions – what are the hours, starting rate of pay? Where is the work site location? He called me
after his turn of events and said, “That was a dummy mission (a wild goose
chase); I got nowhere.”
3.
Comparison steals your joy – your timeline doesn’t
have to match anyone else’s.
4.
Debt is real – and it grows faster than you
think.
5.
Saying “no” is powerful – and doesn’t require an
explanation – you will have to say no to some things to accomplish what you
want to get done.
6.
Success isn’t linear – detours are part of the
journey.
7.
You are responsible for your own happiness – no partner,
job, or paycheck can do that for you.
8.
Asking for help isn’t weakness – it’s strength.
9.
Joy can be found in small ordinary moments, not
just the big milestones.
10. Your
inner critic is often lying – you’re more capable than you think.
Parenting doesn’t end – it evolves. What parenting episodes
have you experienced lately – with your child, or caring for your parent?
Remember to seek to uncover humor in a difficult situation.
