Sooner or Later

My parents weren't perfect. No one is. Nonetheless, I was sure, as an angst-filled teenager, that my parents were the worst, and everyone else's parents were better.

 Once I had my own family, my parents' actions (and more importantly, their motives) became more clear. Ah ha! They loved me with all the love they had and gave me everything they had to give. Same as I am doing with my own children. Why couldn't I see that years ago?

The parts of their parenting style that I didn't care for so much, I'm doing differently with my own children. The parts that work for me, I've kept. From time to time, my sons and daughters disagree with my decisions. That's ok. You'll keep what works for you, and do the rest differently when you raise your own family. It's called growing up.

 "Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing Myself." -  Rumi 

Sooner or later you have to forgive your parents for being who they are, instead of who you wanted them to be. Forgiving them has nothing to do with them, really. But it sets you free.