I agree. I think what drives me the most these days is to actively NOT be a parent like he was. My kids aren't perfect, but they're spurred onward with love and compassion at every turn. I never want them to feel like less than anyone else, much less, somehow beneath me.
At one point, my father thought he was dying and he took each of his children for a chat. You would think this would be the opportunity for him to say how much he loved us or how proud he was...
He told me "you have no mind of your own" He told next brother "you are deficient" My middle sister was spared, because she was the favorite He told my youngest sister "you wasted all of your potential" And my baby brother "you are a waste"
Can you even imagine saying any of these things to your own children?
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2025-07-03 06:20 pm (UTC)My kids aren't perfect, but they're spurred onward with love and compassion at every turn. I never want them to feel like less than anyone else, much less, somehow beneath me.
At one point, my father thought he was dying and he took each of his children for a chat. You would think this would be the opportunity for him to say how much he loved us or how proud he was...
He told me "you have no mind of your own"
He told next brother "you are deficient"
My middle sister was spared, because she was the favorite
He told my youngest sister "you wasted all of your potential"
And my baby brother "you are a waste"
Can you even imagine saying any of these things to your own children?