This piece made me happy. Indeed, it must be hard to parent. Let alone parent "perfectly". We're here aren't we. And, you're a pretty damned cool human being!
This piece moved me deeply. Like many, I grew up with imperfect parents: neither saints nor villains, just human.
For a long time, I thought I turned out well despite them. But with time and distance, I’ve come to see that I am also who I am because of them. They were both a positive and negative example and I’ve learned from both.
My family of origin is a tangled mess I’m still learning to make peace with. Both my parents have passed, and I haven’t spoken to my brother in over seven years. But here in Saigon, I’ve started building a new family, MY family, one made of love, attention, and conscious effort.
It's far from perfect, but, as said, it's mine. And maybe, that’s enough
Thank you for writing something so honest and resonant. 🙏
Very mature realization. And one that many people never arrive at.
Thank you Chris for your kind words! And, as always, for reading and sharing your thoughts.
This piece made me happy. Indeed, it must be hard to parent. Let alone parent "perfectly". We're here aren't we. And, you're a pretty damned cool human being!
You're pretty damned cool yourself! 🤗
This piece moved me deeply. Like many, I grew up with imperfect parents: neither saints nor villains, just human.
For a long time, I thought I turned out well despite them. But with time and distance, I’ve come to see that I am also who I am because of them. They were both a positive and negative example and I’ve learned from both.
My family of origin is a tangled mess I’m still learning to make peace with. Both my parents have passed, and I haven’t spoken to my brother in over seven years. But here in Saigon, I’ve started building a new family, MY family, one made of love, attention, and conscious effort.
It's far from perfect, but, as said, it's mine. And maybe, that’s enough
Thank you for writing something so honest and resonant. 🙏
Thank you Karim for reading and sharing your experience. Reading your comment put both a smile and a (good) tear on my face. Thank you. 🫂
Off topic: do you know REN?
https://youtu.be/s_nc1IVoMxc?si=pxDXP0ZOP3VnNH_2