“They are not made of glass”
It seems neither are we
I usually withhold myself from giving parenting advice. I only have two daughters; how much does this entitle me to give advice! But telling you my experience is something else.
A piece of advice I feel ok giving because I can conceal it in a joke, and only a few will actually take it seriously or try to read into it; kids are not made of glass. I know they are not, and I try to go about my day knowing there are not, but they are our kids, our daughters, our girls. I can’t go to sleep without wondering if I dropped the ball? I put my head on the pillow, and I start to question myself, am I overprotecting? Am I not protecting? I go for a good few minutes debating my own demons. I win some and lose some.
I want them to be kind, strong and confident. I know I can’t give them everything, nor guarantee anything. I feel if we can provide them with the right foundation, tools, access to opportunities, they should be ready to go fight their own battles. I hate they are dealt an unfair hand being in this region of the world. Sometimes I wonder if they will be part of the change? or part of the system? I know I want to do something about it.
Here is my parenting advice to you if you are now looking for a job, looking for a career change, or just at a crossroad and feeling the whole universe is plotting again you:
Evidently, we are not made of glass either then. We get punched, beaten, disappointed, rejected, bullied, discriminated against, misunderstood, misrepresented…whatever happens, we tend to stand up again, even with the help of a walking stick. Not every battle ends in victory. Not all stories are inspirational, some are still being written. If you are reading this, I guess you are one of those then; an unfinished story.
If I wrote this 3 years my story ending here would be of dreams coming true. If I wrote this in 2012 it would have been about overcoming life’s challenges and winning. In 2011 it was all about things falling apart, and trying to rebuild with hope and the gift of birth. In 2020 it was about truth and uncertainty.
It is 2021, I am all of the above, and none at the same time. I am bleeding like most of us today, my demons are ever more present, but so is my walking stick. It is still an unfinished story.
Keep making your own.
PS. The photo was possible because of the work-from-home option that was mandatory 😀
