A
burnt out college junior, a budding freshman, and two recent empty nesters try
to make dinner plans: this is my current family dynamic. I’m not going to lie; it can be stressful
spending time with my family. My parents
go to sleep no later than 11. I go out
no earlier than 11. My sister likes
kale. I like cheeseburgers. Often, I find that I have very little in
common with the people that shaped me.
As
you grow up it’s easy to forget how you got to that point. I certainly do not spend a lot of time
thinking about my elementary school days.
Even less often, however, do I take the time to remember life back at
home with my family. Between exams, and
projects, and the disheveled calendar that is my social life, I rarely
reminisce about Wednesday nights back in Pikesville.
A
home cooked meal. 4 people crowded on
one couch around a grossly outdated EDTV[1]
(that stands for enhanced definition; you’ve never heard of it because they
only made them for about a week). Maybe
24 is on, or The Office. My sister pops
popcorn and dad scoops ice cream.
Perhaps we’re playing Scrabble (I’m probably winning). It’s nights like these that make me miss
home.
My
parents don’t party. They don’t eat
Domino’s. My sister doesn’t drink Budweiser
or play FIFA. They won’t come to Mardi
Gras or see the new Fast & Furious movie at 10:30. Yet, I can’t hold that against them. The truth is, we’re all at different places
in our lives, and that’s okay. The
challenge is remembering the things we have in common and searching for new
ones.
I’m
going home this weekend, and normally that’s stressful for me. There’s something about living under my
parents’ roof that undermines my basic independence. Nevertheless, I’m excited to be back in
Baltimore. After all, it only takes a
few moments to remember how much fun we had together, back when school was
around the corner, and family TV night was a highlight of the week.
So,
I urge you to take a minute and remember your childhood. No one’s was perfect, of course, but if you
dig deep, I’m sure you can smile about the time when you were cared for by
people who loved you unconditionally.
Call your parents on the phone.
Meet them for dinner. Send your
sister a stupid snapchat. NO matter
where you are in your life, these are the people who will truly always have
your back, and the biggest mistake you could make would be pushing them away.
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