My relationship with my parents has always been a solid one.  I like to say that in the cosmic lottery of parents, my sister and I hit the jackpot — Mom and Dad  are kind, wise, ethical people whose love and counsel have helped me through more than one rocky period in my life.   I think I always took that for granted when I was younger, but it’s fascinating how, as an adult, I have learned to think about them more consciously, to trace all the ways that their lived example has shaped and influenced me.  And that in turn makes me think about the ways that I am influencing my own kids.
In the spirit of that, I wanted to share this great article  called Go Ahead: Write About Your Parents, Again.  It’s by Tarn Wilson, whose beautiful guest-post about her mom was featured on this very blog last fall.  It’s geared towards writers, but there’s wisdom for everyone here because it really explores the impact of our parents on our lives.  One great quote:
All cultures have their origin stories, their creation myths, which reveal their foundational beliefs about human nature, good and evil, power hierarchies, and the qualities of a hero. Our family story is our personal origin story. When we examine it, we see more clearly the assumptions—faulty or inspired—by which we live.
If you blog or journal or write about your life, it’s totally worth a read. Â If you are a parent — or if you’ve ever had a parent — it’s also totally worth a read. Â Guaranteed to get you thinking.
The Mother and Sister of the Artist by Berthe Morisot
