I finished your book yesterday. Wow! What an accomplishment!
The essence of your message lingers. I came away with a new perspective not only about you and your parents and your journey into freedom but the pit falls of being elderly. I am an elderly parent now. I had a system of raising my children in my era of time when all I wanted to give them was the understanding of an unlimitless-ness, personal choices and their consequences. I instilled in them that they can be, do and have anything they want and that they were responsible for creations. I held them in a bubble of love. The system worked for my boys but my daughter was yanked from the nest too soon. Her journey was filled with chaos of a divorce. She felt as you did, out of place and so rejected.
As a loyal and loving parent, my daughter and I are learning new ways to be with each other.
On days where it feels intense I quote from your book, “So tell me 5 things you are grateful for…..” After eyes are rolled, I say, “Okay, at least one!”
She looked at me and started to laugh….and the laughter continues…