You know what I find humorous? That after 20 years of raising four children I had to listen to an accumulation of probably months of belittling comments from younger asswipes about how my life sucked. I couldn't hang out after work for beer. I couldn't go to concerts. I couldn't go to parties, or meet-ups, or watch football games. And I had to listen to laughter, jokes, beratings, etc. from all my single friends or married friends who called their dogs their "children" but had no human offspring. And if I dared mention something like being up all night with a sick child in the ER, or leaving work to attend a pre-school play, or an elementary school awards ceremony, I had to suffer through more heckling.
Now these younger pukes are married and are having their own kids. And they expect me to listen to them moan about being up with sick kids all night, doctor visits, bills bills and more bills, and school events, and fund raisers, and little league sports chores, and sleepovers and on and on. I can't count how many times I've had to listen to one of them moan about "man, it's tough raising two children…" and I reply "yeah, whatever, I raised four, and other people raised more than that. Go cry somewhere else."
All I'm saying is that in life, in general, not even considering family issues either, be mindful of what you berate or belittle or heckle or chide or whatever you call it. Quite often the shoes will swap feet and you will be on the other end. So, from all of us that are now listening to the whining of former hecklers, please, I beg you: the next time one of them starts into another one of their whiney moods - smack the shit out of them, and then laugh and walk away. It'll do wonders for your mood.
Was the sacrifice worth it for me? Hell yes! Would I have done anything different? I would always wish (as most good parents I know) that we could always be better parents, but as far as missing time with my drinking buddies to spend with my kids: not one regret.
1 comment:
I'm in agreement with you. I don't care about meeting people after work for "social" hour when I can go home and play with my kids. When they're in their teens and don't want to be around mom and dad anymore, I'll be able to at least look back at how much time I was able to spend with them enjoying life...instead of making sure I had an emmaculate lawn or whatever. No regrets here either.
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