As I sit here, relaxing with my morning coffee, I start to think of the situation the world is in. It is so easy looking at all the negative things happening. I would rather think of the good instead.

I have a lot to be thankful for. The ability to sit here and write whatever I want is one. Having my health is another. Liking myself definitely comes into the equation. But the most important part of my life I have to be thankful for, are my sons.

It was not easy getting divorced when they were younger. There was a period of time I was legally getting welfare even though I was working. Child support went out the window when my ex remarried. Life has not been easy for us. Both of my sons are highly intelligent, yet they were not able to continue their education beyond High School. They had to start working upon graduation, as I couldn?t afford to pay for college. That is a major regret I still have. They are fairly successful in their chosen fields, but sometimes I still think - what if they were able to continue their education. What if belongs with - woulda, shoulda, coulda as we say up north.

My sons and I have a special bond. They know I adore them. I tell them often enough. When I was divorced, I never tried to become their best friend or live vicariously through them. I understood they were individuals and just as intelligent as I was. The only difference was I knew a little more than they did for the simple reason I was born first. My life revolved around them. Their welfare, whether financially or emotionally, was a responsibility I gladly accepted.

Just as I accepted them for whom they were, they accepted me. When my elder son was ten, he said to me - ma, you are weird, nice but weird. He was referring to the fact I knew things before they occurred. Being psychic, then, was still a strange phenomenon.

When they were older, they moved out to be on their own. As far as I was concerned, they could have stayed home until time to collect social security, but they wanted to leave the nest and I did not try to stop them. Once, when I went to visit my elder son in his apartment, I was getting ready to leave. He held up a broom and said - here?s your ride ma. I looked at him and replied, sorry - I am more modern now, I use a vacuum cleaner, but I still have trouble with that darn cord following behind.

My sons were never into sports per se, and I did not push them. What they were into, were martial arts. My younger son still is. That was what they desired to learn and I did not stop them. I always knew life was free choice, and that was their choice to make. Sometimes the choices they made were wrong, but I did not stop those either. They quickly learned what not to do because of the consequences.

I am writing this about my sons, because too many parents neglect the responsibility. I embraced it. Children are wonderful, for they are a very precious gift. It is time for parents to realize this.

Giving video games to occupy their time, instead of spending quality time with the child, will come back and bite the parent. If you ignore them when they are younger, do not expect a warm loving relationship when they are older. Just as you neglected them, when they reach maturity they will neglect you.

athena_louise

http://www.athenalouise.com