Motherhood

I make no secrets about wanting to be a parent. I often wonder about what kind of parent I'd be and now that I have the opportunity of being around children, I think I'd be decent. But then, I get to leave them at some point. Maybe I'll be different if I've to be around them 24x7. Today I was reading a blog written by a lady who's 51 and has a 27 year old son. She put up a post when he got married, about how her role as a 'mother' is now done and she's retired. While I totally appreciate the sentiment, that she's ready to let him move forward with his own life, I'm not sure if I believe it.

I guess part of the not believing it is because my parents are still very firmly, my parents. Just as my grandmom still believes she knows better than her children, though she doesn't say anything. I'm sure I'll be the same, will always believe I know better, but hopefully will be able to keep my counsel. I've told my parents repeatedly that at some point, they've to trust they've done a good job, and let go. I think the parents that can do that have great relationships with their children. It's a relationship of mutual trust and respect. Where everybody knows that they're only opinions, everybody has them, and each person is as right or wrong as the other. The future may prove that one opinion had some advantages, but that's pretty much it.

I'm guilty of this myself. Believing I know better than others. Sometimes I do :) But most of the time it's just my opinion, and right now, I can see that.

Hopefully, if I ever become a parent, I'll continue to remember that. Everybody will have opinions, ways they've done something, ways their family did stuff for generations, and I'll have opinions. And one day, my child will grow up and form his/her own opinions. And I want to remember to let that happen, even when I hate those opinions.