Our Turning Points

What to do in retirement is just as exciting as a young adult asking what to do with my life. In both cases what we bring to our choosing points is a lot of baggage from our parents and even distant ancestors. So understanding that condition is important to our planning.

Understanding our parents as young adults is often next to impossible. The reverse is also true. I had trouble dealing with my father, my daughter had trouble dealing with me and she has problems dealing with son. His teenage children will experience the same problems all over again. It is just nature’s way.

As parents we raise our children to be independent adults then we are shocked when our teenagers want that independence way too early. By that time putting the breaks on is almost impossible but we try because we want them to be safe. This is very hard on both parent and young adult child. Providing our children with a safety net, while letting them spread their wings is nerve racking at best.

Every stage of life has its privileges and its responsibilities that are compatible for that age. When you are at one of those points in life of letting go of one set and reaching for another it is a turning point and that is always an exciting but an uncomfortable place to be.   When you make that move to be totally responsible for your self you will discover a new set of rules that are not imposed by your parents but by society. I have discovered that society can be very cruel to those who do not conform. We must each discover by trial and error our way in society at each turning point. It is not easy on anyone involved.