Healing Old Wounds: Not Your Kids' Job
“My dad says that childhood is the happiest time of my life. But, I think he’s wrong. I think my mom’s right. She says that childhood is what you spend the rest of your life trying to overcome.” (Hope Floats, 1998).
For some of you, this quote from the movie Hope Floats doesn’t ring true for you at all; but, for others, it is spot on. Some of you have tons of positive memories when you reflect on your childhood; but, for others, not so much. Although I believe that most parents truly are doing the best they can, some parents seem to have a better grasp on childrearing than others. For whatever reasons, many children will launch into adulthood with festering emotional wounds left by the actions or inactions of their parents. These young adults will soon enter into relationships themselves and have children of their own, all the while, unbeknownst to them, carrying with them their childhood baggage.
“Don’t expect your children to make up for where your parents fell short.”