How Close are you to your Parents?

[Madam Jacqui]

 

[homer]

Not very...tis abit like a galaxy far far far away...

 

[Dallas]

My dad used to belt the crap out of us.. for personal stress relief mostly and my mother believed from her parents that giving hugs and affection to the boys in the family would make them soft and emotionally weak so we missed out while my sister was cuddled to bits. Due to my dad, none of my brothers or sister feel it's safe to leave their kids alone around him and I have more of an emotional bond with my Accountant than my mother. I got my first hug and kiss when I was 11 from a girl down the road and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

 

[HappyPirate]

Ahoy, I am the only Pirate in the family.
"Which explains why no-one opens the front door when I come by and say Hello LOL"

 

[Happy2]

I am luckier than most maybe
I adored my Dad and love my Mum Who now lives with me due to Old Timers disease (Mum has it not I)

Very close to most of my family
Guess that makes me one lucky S.O.B

 

[Dallas]

It does Mr 2, hope your having fun on your trip away

 

[Sir Cruiser]

My dad used to belt the crap out of us.. for personal stress relief mostly and my mother believed from her parents that giving hugs and affection to the boys in the family would make them soft and emotionally weak so we missed out while my sister was cuddled to bits. Due to my dad, none of my brothers or sister feel it's safe to leave their kids alone around him and I have more of an emotional bond with my Accountant than my mother. I got my first hug and kiss when I was 11 from a girl down the road and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

Yup know the dad part and to a certain extent the mum but slightly different, work work work

 

[XLNC]

I've been very fortunate, have loving parents and always have had a close relationship with them.

Though not close enough to divulge details about my 'love life'.

 

[Ventor Petrozza]

My parents were good parents. Were there for me no matter what.

 

[Dez]

For years Mum and I have been hit and miss...Better enough these days... But since she's going through the awkward years with my sister and brother at the moment...I'm her main source of support. Dad and I were never really that close... I got sent to live with him when I was 15, even though I'd only met him a handful of times...We really struggled to develop a close relationship, but he had answers to my past that I felt I needed unlocked and we have made a good foundation now. The older and more stable I before the more respect I have gotten... To have to prove that I'm not a fuck up and not hindered by my destructive years has been hard sometimes...but then he had his so I think he can understand me better in those aspects.

I'm close enough to my parents...but I'm a pretty guarded person...I don't do close and personal.

 

[Ginger Spice]

Not at all.

 

[Lingham]

I am luckier than most maybe
Guess that makes me one lucky S.O.B

It sure does, H2.

 

[Madam Tracey]

I am blessed to have great parents. They have always been supportive and loving. I think I will fall in a giant heap when the time comes to say goodbye. Mum is 80 Dad 83 every year I count myself fortunate to have had the years that I have.

 

[Dallas]

I can't imagine a life where I felt close to my parents and felt safe at school let alone learned anything, it seems like another world. Until I was about 16 it was just surviving and hoping one day Id have my own family that had love and was free from abuse.

 

[Madam Tracey]

I can't imagine a life where I felt close to my parents and felt safe at school let alone learned anything, it seems like another world. Until I was about 16 it was just surviving and hoping one day Id have my own family that had love and was free from abuse.

When I hear your story and there are millions just like yours, it makes me feel very grateful that I was born into my family. I also had times, growing up when I was beaten, locked in my room...hated my mother etc, but overall I was loved (sometimes too much) and nurtured. Its interesting how the power dynamic changes as you get older and possibly my attitude to my parents and life.

 

[Dallas]

When I hear your story and there are millions just like yours, it makes me feel very grateful that I was born into my family. I also had times, growing up when I was beaten, locked in my room...hated my mother etc, but overall I was loved (sometimes too much) and nurtured. Its interesting how the power dynamic changes as you get older and possibly my attitude to my parents and life.

I am always glad when I hear happy family stories, in fact I'm drawn to seeing smiling happy familes when I'm out in public. I'm really glad yours was like that! Ironically, my dad used to train our dog with a reward system yet train us kids with a belt. I always was envious of our dog You're right about the power dynamic. My dad is in aged care with Alzheimers now and reliant on me to an extent. It's been tough trying to deal with that after what he put me through, but I guess like you said, our attitudes change as we get older.

 

[XLNC]

I am blessed to have great parents. They have always been supportive and loving. I think I will fall in a giant heap when the time comes to say goodbye. Mum is 80 Dad 83 every year I count myself fortunate to have had the years that I have.

Yes, I am steeling myself for that unwelcome time as well, particularly when they go into hospital for another repair or replacement part, having seen the lingering sorrow in my cousin (who was also close to his folks). I like to think I am made of sterner stuff but they are almost all I have left -- bar a brother on the other side of the planet -- and my cousin at least has a wonderful fiancée to help him through the darker moments. It will be very hard to let go.

But for now I enjoy their company whenever we visit with each other, savouring my most tangible link to my largely happy childhood, and I silently admonish myself later if I lose my temper over some trivial thing (especially with Mum, who still claims to know what's best for me).

 

[Morgan Sapphire]

I don't know how I feel about my parents. Unfortunately my biological father was a full blown alcoholic and was kicked out when I was 2 after he nearly beat my mother to death, so I didn't really know him. My stepfather was a paedophile so no more to say about that. I grew to love my mother when I was an adult, as I was beaten often as a child. I guess I miss my parents now because they have passed, although my stepfather is still around.I don't really stay in contact with him now because I have my own family to raise and I'm breaking that vicious cycle of abuse as a child so that my own children can live a 'normal life'. x

 

[Ventor Petrozza]

When you've experienced unconditional love you don't settle for the half arsed version.

 

[Yoshi Langtrees]

I'm really very close with my mom

 

[andy49]

I was lucky to be adopted by my parents whose really only flaw was they were so overprotective of me. It was hard at the time but as I have grown older I am grateful because I have seen so much heartache and evil in other families and my parents only showed me love. My father passed long ago, but my mother fairly recently and I think of her every day.

 

[Sir Cruiser]

I was lucky to be adopted by my parents whose really only flaw was they were so overprotective of me. It was hard at the time but as I have grown older I am grateful because I have seen so much heartache and evil in other families and my parents only showed me love. My father passed long ago, but my mother fairly recently and I think of her every day.

My thoughts are with you andy49

 

[Selina Glitters]

Love my Mum & Dad very much but we don't spend much time together because they are busy living their own selfish lives.

 

[SashaStephens]

My dad used to belt the crap out of us.. for personal stress relief mostly and my mother believed from her parents that giving hugs and affection to the boys in the family would make them soft and emotionally weak so we missed out while my sister was cuddled to bits. Due to my dad, none of my brothers or sister feel it's safe to leave their kids alone around him and I have more of an emotional bond with my Accountant than my mother. I got my first hug and kiss when I was 11 from a girl down the road and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

Dallas I would give you a big hug and kiss!! At least you can see that their behaviour wasn't normal and you can be the bigger person and treat others how they should be!

 

[Kitty]

Not very; however I am of the opinion that society looks down on those that choose not to be family-oriented, which leads people to put up with behaviour that is unacceptable because 'it's family'. I have a close network of friends that are inspiring and supportive, they are more of a family than I could ever have hoped for. x

 

[SashaStephens]

I wouldn't know where to even start with mine so I won't get into too much detail it would be a novel.. They haven't been around as a supportive family since I was 13 and somehow my bad choices while bringing myself up (more or less) still plays at them although they were absent. Struggling through the hard times and having the strength to get through still a caring and loving person makes me proud of myself. They still continue to deliberately bring me down every time I am doing well for myself. I'm in the process of cutting them off completely which is hard when I do help my elderly grandparents. I'm not running away I have tried multiple times to fix things but sometimes walking from an argument is the best thing to do instead of reliving all the pain you have learnt to accept.

 

[happytimes]

When you've experienced unconditional love you don't settle for the half arsed version.

So True, i use to always get that from my MUM, no matter what. Can't say that i was a great kid or as an adult, that never ever phased her,She always loved me for me, can't say that about my Father though (when he was around), also my eldest sister and i haven't never got along, hence we haven't talked for over 22 yrs, sad but true as she only lived like 5 suburbs away, but my other sister has always been like my Mum, shes lived 5K away and we still have a great relationship, my brother sits on the fence, hence i am the youngest and the black sheep!! Funny my eldest sister asked me for advice once and did the opposite to what i said to her son, maybe she realized i was right, but she would never admit that anyway.. Disfuncional family something like that they call it lol.

 

[Dallas]

Dallas I would give you a big hug and kiss!! At least you can see that their behaviour wasn't normal and you can be the bigger person and treat others how they should be!

Thanks Sasha and Id love it too! You are right, I have never let their attitude affect me in a negative way and I feel I have developed the empathy and compassion that they lacked. I sure can relate to your situation of having to bring up yourself and you should be proud that you remained a caring and loving person through the adversity,the world could sure use more! -hugs-

 

[TheRoamingEyeball]

Not very; however I am of the opinion that society looks down on those that choose not to be family-oriented, which leads people to put up with behaviour that is unacceptable because 'it's family'. I have a close network of friends that are inspiring and supportive, they are more of a family than I could ever have hoped for. x

Totally with you on this. Any time friends are talking about their relations in a negative light and end with "but they're my ________" I say so? Doesn't mean you can't stand up for yourself or if you need to completely cut them off. Taking care of yourself often involves a big step of removing negative people from your life, whoever they may be.

 

[DDxoxo]

Am I close to my parents?
Don't even go there....
I am really close to my parents - abnormally so by Australian standards (I say that not as an absolute!)
I remember as a child I would pray to my Higher Being (in my case God) to take me home before anything happened to my Mom or Dad....
I cannot imagine a world without my Mom or my Dad......they moulded all their children
to now be wonderful fathers & mothers who appreciate family most of all...we still talk to them everyday & weekly visits are just normal.

Their influence on my life is tremendous. Every day for as long as I can remember.
Although sometimes I felt my Mom had been unreasonable & harsh in some decisions
she made while I was growing up ....
(even sometimes now) I still love her completely & without any un-forgiveness in my heart!

My Dad is my Hero, in my eyes he can do no wrong..
He is the ONLY man in my life that has loved me completely & unconditionally ...
It is sad to see him get old & on the brink of either Dementia or Alzheimer's
but that is just life isn't it?

I want them to live forever! I have to stop this post or I may cry!