Growing up and as a child, I have always been extremely close to my mom.
I could never leave her side for more than a second, and if I did, that would usually be when we were in the store. I would sit in the middle of the aisle and cry hysterically until she found me.
I was attached to my mom at the hip, not to mention that I would always hide behind her when she would try to introduce me to people that were strangers, and people that I knew nothing about, and looked at, as if they were complete aliens, yes I was one of those ‘shy’, strange, kids.
Maybe I had such a close bond with my mom so young, because I was the only child, or maybe this was just because I was always meant to have the best mother/daughter relationship with my mom.
Lets face it, I am a girl, and girls usually lean more so on their moms growing up.
Not to mention the fact that I even turned down joining my dad in “Indian Princesses” because I would of rather spent the day with my mom, opps.
As the single digits began to end, and I hit my teenage years, I was still extremely close with my mom, but it was a constant struggle to ‘have my teenage fun’ if you will, and still find the time to spend some quality time with my mom.
I was a good kid, but I of coarse went through the typical teenage years of going out, and usually staying out late, passing curfew.
The more and more I went out as a 16/17 year old, the more I could tell my mom was getting frustrated, and hurt, but of coarse she didn’t let me know, but being her daughter, I could just tell she wasn’t the happiest camper.
When I moved out on my own, I had just about turned 18 years old.
The older I became the easier it was for me to talk to my mom, more so then my dad. I was never really that close with my dad growing up in general. I could still tell my dad things here and there, but I knew that my mom would understand me better than he or anyone could at that time.
When I hit 20/21 years old, that’s when I realized that I had some growing up to do, and my mom and dad started becoming the only two people that I really wanted to talk to. Those 15, 16, and 17 year phases of being a ‘typical teenager’, were times that I could have really spent cherishing moments with both of my parents. Where did going out to ‘house parties’, and coming home at 3-4 am every night get me? Nowhere.
Now being 24, I oddly look back at those years, and I don’t have any regrets, but I wish I could have lived my teenage years differently.
It’s good to socialize with your friends, but your parents are important too. As annoying as they might of been when you were growing up, when you hit your 20’s, that is when you’ll realize that you need them the most, and they need you too. The older you get, the even older they get.
As sad, as it is that life doesn’t go on forever, and that we never really know when our ‘last day’ will be, I really wish I could have divided my time between fun, and my family.
Moving forward though there is always a lesson to be learned, and even if you might not be that close with your family, remember that your family is your blood, and even though at times it may be difficult to get along, they will always be there for you, and they will always need you.
Family is forever.
