Praying Your Children Will Listen

As parents, we tell our children many things. We do this because we want to keep them safe. Like, don't touch the stove because it's hot. We know this because one time in our lives, we did it, and we got burnt. So we say this because we don't want our children to feel that pain of a burn.

As they get older, they think they know it all. They don't need your advice. They are so smart that they figured all this shit out on their own. Even though you know that they have no clue. You've been there, you've got your pain, and you don't want them to go through that. If they would only listen.

Many children think you are trying to tell them what to do. Trying to run their lives when, in fact, we are trying to help them from running off that cliff that we know is coming up. We want to pass on what we've learned, the pain, the tears, and the heartbreak that we have experienced so that we can help them bypass that.

We don't want to rule your life. We want to save your life from the pain.

But unfortunately, most children will not listen, they will say:

I know better! 

I love them! (Ha! One of my favourites)

You don't know anything! This will break your heart because you absolutely know what will be coming for them. 

But we have to walk away praying that the pain won't overtake them. They will learn to let go of their anger and not be bitter. That they will forgive, not for others but for themselves to be able to move on. But all of this takes time, and it takes the pain of the lesson.

The lessons that they need to obviously learn on their own.

So today, my friends, I am here hoping that someone's children, my children, will read this and know that all we say is because we love you more than life itself. That you are our lives, that you mean everything to us. We would gladly take your pain if we could. Because we are your parents and we only want the best for you. Because we lived a long life of painful lessons before you and because we don't want you to go through what we did.

But you must go get your pain on your own without our advice.

Just know that we are always here for you, to hold you when you cry, to wipe your tears away and to tell you that no matter how old you are, we will always be your parents and we will always be praying that you will listen.