twitter: @eugenio_fouz
Dear Mom and Dad, I love you but please don´t
By E. Mildred Neville
Don´t spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not to have all I ask for. I´m only testing you.
Don´t be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it. It makes me feel more secure.
Don´t let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.
Don´t make me feel smaller than I am. It only makes me behave stupidly “big”.
Don´t correct me in front of people if you can help it. I´ll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private.
Don´t make me feel that my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.
Don´t be too upset when I say “I hate you”. It isn´t you I hate, but your power to thwart me.
Don´t protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way sometimes.
Don´t take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get me the attention I need.
Don´t nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.
Don´t make rash promises. Remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken.
Don´t forget that I cannot explain myself as well as I should like. That´s why I am not always very accurate.
Don´t be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.
Don´t tax my honesty too much. I am easily frightened into telling lies.
Don´t put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you will find that I stop asking and seek my formation elsewhere.
Don´t tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real and you can do much to reasure me if you try to understand.
Don´t ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I go over that you are neither.
Don´t ever think that is it beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes feel surprisingly warm toward you.
Don´t forget I love experimenting. I couldn´t get over without it, so please put up with it.
Don´t forget how quickly I´m growing up. It must be very difficult for you to keep pace with it, but please do try.
Don´t forget that I can´t thrive without lots of understanding love, but I don´t need to tell you, do I?
Reprinted from Cloud Cover, newsletter of St. Cloud, Minnesota
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