Both of my parents are very smart, funny, and incredibly loyal.  But of course, like every parent/child in the history of humankind, our relationships weren’t perfect.  I think that most of our conflicts centered around the fact that the way that I am wired clashes with the way they are wired, even as it mirrors their way of being.  A lot of the time when we were struggling with each other, we were really fighting ourselves.  

My mother is wired for speed when it comes to anxiety and self-sacrifice.  My father is the “glass half empty” to her “cup runneth over,” the eye of the storm that can shift at any moment.  They are both perfectionists, as am I, so nothing is ever good enough for any of us.  

While they wouldn’t appreciate me talking about them here in this way (they are also very private),  I don’t think that they would disagree with the way I describe them.  Besides, in describing them, I am also judging myself.

© Salahub 2003