Image: Flickr/Ken Bosma

“Your parents, they give you your life, but then they try to give you their life.” (Chuck Palahniuk)

It’s a sad truth: when we look at our kids, sometimes all we see are versions of our younger selves. Because of this, we try to fix what went wrong in our past through our kids, but, when we do, we rob them of the chance to fully become who they want to be. It’s pretty arrogant when you stop and think about it.

Instead, maybe we should step back and try to see them as the real people that they are. Maybe, just maybe, if we give them the room to explore, without the pressure to fulfill our hopes and dreams, they just might find a life of their own that is far bigger and vastly better than the one we have in mind for them.