You, I've mistaken for destiny, but the truth is my legacy is not up to my genes.
True, though the imprint is deep in me, it will always be up to me
-Repo! The Genetic Opera
It's times like these I wonder if I'm like my mother. Now seems a good time to let everyone know this: you have a chance to change your stars. Just because your parents are a certain way doesn't mean you have to be.
I was with my family over Thanksgiving and let me tell you...it isn't easy. I almost felt like it was a mirror into my future. But sitting here, I realize that I have the choice to decide who I am in 20 years. Just because my family is a certain way doesn't mean that is what I will turn into. If anything, it could be a warning sign.
I am happier now than I have ever been though. I am lucky to have been blessed with so many people who care about me. The most to be taken away from today's topic is that you can have the same attributes as your family without being exactly like them. For example, I am very charismatic (like my mother) but I am not a drunk just because I have some of the same attributes as her.
It's a fine line, to be a child coming into the understanding of your own being. As a young person, you not only have the expectations of your family and the world on your shoulders, but also the expectations you create for yourself. In this, it is really difficult to remember the last one. However, part of growing up is learning how to value your own expectations. In college, it seems like everyone has been telling me that, yes, my opinion is valued. Now, I have a blog that people read, so I feel like my opinion is at least slightly valued. Still, I see many of my 18 year old friends going to college and choosing a major that either society or their family wants for them. While it's great that these people care about the future, these freshman really have to figure out what they want for the rest of their lives.
Guys, let me tell you something. Every single one of you have the potential to change the world. None of us are more or less important. Past generations have been so focused on, well, the past that they raised themselves to only be so-so. They thought that was all they were capable of. But we are not our parents. We are not the past. We are the future. I see more compassion now than ever.
However, it is important to remember that our parents are just human. You know that feeling you get when you're really scared or really sad? They get that too. The great thing is that they are human, with so much love to give and so much to offer the world.
I guess the main point of my rambling blog post today is that (1) parents/family are human, (2) you don't have to be like them, and (3) you don't have to listen to everything they say. You're an adult (I hope most of you reading this are), use your own best judgement as your guide. Parents are sometimes wise, but not the end-all-be-all of sage advise.
True, though the imprint is deep in me, it will always be up to me
-Repo! The Genetic Opera
It's times like these I wonder if I'm like my mother. Now seems a good time to let everyone know this: you have a chance to change your stars. Just because your parents are a certain way doesn't mean you have to be.
I was with my family over Thanksgiving and let me tell you...it isn't easy. I almost felt like it was a mirror into my future. But sitting here, I realize that I have the choice to decide who I am in 20 years. Just because my family is a certain way doesn't mean that is what I will turn into. If anything, it could be a warning sign.
I am happier now than I have ever been though. I am lucky to have been blessed with so many people who care about me. The most to be taken away from today's topic is that you can have the same attributes as your family without being exactly like them. For example, I am very charismatic (like my mother) but I am not a drunk just because I have some of the same attributes as her.
It's a fine line, to be a child coming into the understanding of your own being. As a young person, you not only have the expectations of your family and the world on your shoulders, but also the expectations you create for yourself. In this, it is really difficult to remember the last one. However, part of growing up is learning how to value your own expectations. In college, it seems like everyone has been telling me that, yes, my opinion is valued. Now, I have a blog that people read, so I feel like my opinion is at least slightly valued. Still, I see many of my 18 year old friends going to college and choosing a major that either society or their family wants for them. While it's great that these people care about the future, these freshman really have to figure out what they want for the rest of their lives.
Guys, let me tell you something. Every single one of you have the potential to change the world. None of us are more or less important. Past generations have been so focused on, well, the past that they raised themselves to only be so-so. They thought that was all they were capable of. But we are not our parents. We are not the past. We are the future. I see more compassion now than ever.
However, it is important to remember that our parents are just human. You know that feeling you get when you're really scared or really sad? They get that too. The great thing is that they are human, with so much love to give and so much to offer the world.
I guess the main point of my rambling blog post today is that (1) parents/family are human, (2) you don't have to be like them, and (3) you don't have to listen to everything they say. You're an adult (I hope most of you reading this are), use your own best judgement as your guide. Parents are sometimes wise, but not the end-all-be-all of sage advise.
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