petersham and my parents

Am staying at a different friend's house this visit and getting to know a new neighbourhood. It's different to glebe, more residential but still with lots of the inner west things that I appreciate, like the neighbourhood yoga centre, laneways down to train stations, health centres, town hall, terraces, second hand shops, italian cafes and portuguese food places.

Whilst waiting to meet a friend in Newtown I walked along the street replaying my impressions of a Saturday night birthday party I attended, and thinking about my parents. I realised (have realised for a while I guess) that I have kind of out stripped my parents in terms of courage in navigating modern life; and whilst I appreciate having my parents, I'm sad that I don't always feel as though there is much more wisdom I can gain from them. They can still give me wisdom at a one to one level about personal relationships; but not necessarily big picture wisdom about how to navigate the future. Whilst I don't think this is something your parents should have to do-that's the signature feature of adulthood, being independent and forging your own way, I do miss having an adult family member who can be a sounding board, rather than a panic merchant or a someone who goes into shellshock from any sort of conflict.

I think my parents, at least my Mum, are gradually reforming their views of me and starting to recognise that I've displayed a lot of independence and ability to navigate situations they no longer deal with; but who looks out for you when your parents stop?

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