Respect/honor your father and mother by communicating. Can you be clear? You do not do well to psychoanalyze your parent, but respect means clear communication. It's not just about what bugs you about your parent. It is also what you value.
Did you parent torment you by making you learn to play the piano? Maybe so, and maybe the time comes when you can say so. But has there been value in your life because you learned music, or learned to memorize better, or learned self-discipline? Can you communicate verbally, in writing, or via a video, with your parent(s)? It is a way of honoring that parent.
Is your parent currently bothering you. "I can't stand to be around my dad!" you scream so that your kids and the whole neighborhood can hear you. Does your father have any idea what he does that bugs you? Saying, "You know what this is about!" and clamming up is not only no help, it is a way of dishonoring and disrespecting him.
Be clear. Be reasonably unemotional (no screaming, shouting, finger-pointing). Be useful when you communicate.
You might have to make it "about you". But honoring your parent is about the parent and the social community as well as about you. It is never just about you.
If you have brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces -- close friends and godparent(s) -- they are living proof that it is not just "about you". You live in a social environment, a community, and even if you did not choose it, respect/honor says you acknowledge that all these people are
- real
- important
- active
- involved.
What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know.
No comments:
Post a Comment