Honor thy Mom and Dad

You've probably been home long enough now that your parents are have been driving you crazy. It's tough to come back under your parent's roof, after having been at college, regardless of whether it's your first year or your last. At school, we have pretty much complete autonomy, and can go where we please, when we please, with whomever we please, for however long we want, without really having to be accountable to anyone. That is not the way things worked when we were in high school, and I think it's tough for our parents to adjust to our newfound independence. I remember the first time I came home freshman year, and all my mom would ask me to do was something simple, like run the dishwasher when it got full. I remember being frustrated, however, because she wouldn't let me decide when I was going to do it, but would instead politely "remind" me before I got a chance to do it for myself.

My mom and I are definitely cool, but it was (and still continues to be, at times) little things like that that would cause me to disrespect her (in my mind, at least....), and that is definitely not okay, or fair to her. As I sit here now, with the end to my time living under her roof fast approaching, I realize how much of an adjustment these past four years must have been for her as well. Me being an only child, she was accustomed to spending lots of time with me, and to me turning to her for pretty much everything, which is no longer the case. It's hard to let go, and you can't let yourself get caught up in the tunnel vision where we feel like our parents are intentionally trying to make us miserable.

I don't really know where I'm going with this anymore, so I'll just leave you with this-- Treasure the time you have with your folks now....they only tell you the things they do because they love you, and are trying to do what they feel is best for you. No, it won't always be easy to be thankful for their "advice," but I urge you to cut them some slack, and to say thanks every once in a while.

They'll appreciate it. I promise ;-).
-AMR
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