What special gifts from my childhood have I brought to this moment?

My rebellious nature, independent thinking and tendency to question authority are gifts from my childhood, although they weren’t much appreciated by my parents! I wanted to know why I had to do something and, if it made sense, I would do it. If it didn’t… No way! It often resulted in my being called selfish, but I generally thought the authority figure was the one being selfish by trying to impose their needs on me. Lots of shouting in my childhood!

When she was dying, my mother apologised to me for trying to make her four children conform to the norms of thinking, feeling and action that had been inculcated into her. In her later years she cast off many of her own “beliefs” and became a passionate questioner of the status quo. She thanked me for teaching that to her and I taught it to my own two children. I (usually!) avoided the dreaded phrase: ”Because I say so!”

I learned that most everyone does the best with what they have at any time, but it doesn’t make any of us right. A grateful review of my day helps me to see where I can improve.