Let Go of Control

This morning on  my way to work I had an epiphany. I realized that I am more patient with my children because I stopped trying to control them.

For years I felt like I needed to control everything they did and said and thought. I had trials/struggles/lessons over and over again in patience. Apparently, I’m a slow learner. But I guess I slowly started figuring it out. I can’t put an exact moment, just maybe a lot of years of ‘learning’. I guess I finally realized that the only thing that I really have control over is me. (What!?) I can certainly beg, bargain, remind, and plead – er, I mean, guide – my children to do their chores and homework and piano and viola and, and, and….. but I can’t force them. Ultimately, they choose their path. I hope that  my “guidance” helps them, somehow, somewhere, with their life decisions.

I really just want them to be happy, responsible adults – but I can’t FORCE them to be happy or responsible. (I can, however, get them out of my house if they are not responsible (i.e. job, school, or other ‘responsible’ actions) after they have finished school and reached the age of 18 ….. ok, I can’t actually physically get them out, but I can sure try!

Obviously, I’m STILL working on control issues, they just aren’t as overbearing as they used to be.

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