Christmas with the Glass Family

[rubyphoenix]

Foreword:This is a story I (unknowingly) re-tell via lj every 2 years or so. It's a situation that obviously still weighs heavy on my heart, and reminds me of who I am today. As I saddled up to relive this moment again and got that fire in my belly just like it was Christmas of '02 all over again, I realized that I need to do something with it.

Comments

[rubyphoenix]

she's soooooo obsessed with everyone being a success. and to her, success=money. nevermind the fact that my other aunt and my cousin were both in the room and are multi-award winning teachers.

[sean_coltrane]

My mother isn't much more supportive of my writing. To be honest, I haven't let her read anything I've seriously written since middle school. She thinks of it as a hobby and I know when I say things like, "I wish I could make a real living creative writing," she kind of chuckles, pushes it off to the side and reminds me that I make a good living in the Mayor's Office. I know this is what a mother is supposed to do, but it also has to do with the fact that my mother had a plan for me.

In my opinion, that's NOT what a parent is supposed to do. It's one thing to be pragmatic; it's another to dismiss your child's dreams as if other people aren't realizing similar dreams of their own @ that very moment. Parents shouldn't develop plans for their children's lives; they should let them develop their OWN, and support them when they put said plans into action. Too many parents crush their children's dreams in a well-meaning but misguided attempt to keep them grounded.

[rubyphoenix]

ya and i don't want to make it seem like my mom totally expected me to stay on this plan of hers. she really did grant me every freedom and encouraged my writing. i just know that she always thought it was something I'd pursue on the side. An award winning teacher/businesswoman/lawyer who happened to write a best-selling book. And it sounded like a great idea to me too. i just can't see both happening right now.

[kstone20059]

I feel your pain, I really do. I would gladly eat Ramien noodles and microwave popcorn for months before I ask either of my parents for a red cent. My mom did me like that when I told her I wanted to go to Howard and at one point I worked 3 jobs just to spite her ass.

[rubyphoenix]

i briefly thought i wanted to be a journalist and my mom supported that because i could get a steady job at a newspaper or magazine and get a regular paycheck. in her eyes, a creative writer is basically me hustling for book deals and trying to get people to pick up my work once in a while. which is not entirely untrue lol, but I know she wanted me to be comfortable and not struggling like she did. But I know if I were to jump into it, my mom would have my back any way she could. i don't want to imply that she'd ever say, "move back home, cuz you're never gonna make it!"

[intlpopstar]

I've been lucky that my mom has always supported me, but there was many a time when I had to support her. That is equally heartbreaking. But good for you. I say chase your dreams. If there is one thing I have learned is that I will never be unhappy. It's the worst!