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Guilt Serves No Purpose
Let It Go
I had a great visit with my thirty year old son earlier this year about his childhood. For the most part, it was very positive and brought us closer together. It was also very enlightening for both of us in a very real way.
He started off by saying he used to think I was rich when he was a kid, and now he wonders how I was able to survive as a single mother with two small children living on a teacher’s salary. He and his wife are both very successful, but like most people, they need to budget and watch their money. I asked him what had given him the impression that I was rich, and he explained that he never heard me complain about money or worry about paying the bills, and I always got him what he needed. I explained that I didn’t want my problems or worries to be his or his sister’s, so when things were tight, which was most of the time, I struggled on my own.
He also spoke about things that upset him when he was growing up that I never knew. My boy was an easy kid. He rarely complained or asked for anything, he made good grades most of the time, and he never got into any trouble, really. What I didn’t realize was there were times he suffered in silence.
Although we learned some things about each other that brought us closer together, we also felt bad about some things from the past. I apologized to him, and…
