Buzz of the Day
When I moved away, I didn't get much support from my family. Financial or otherwise. I had saved up money so even when I was in Kalamazoo with no job, I was okay...for a while.
I don't recall the exact moment. Probably because it was probably more of a series of events that led to me hitting rock bottom. It was when I realized that nobody would come to extend a hand if I fell flat on my face. That was a terrible time. But it was also very liberating! Once you hit rock bottom, there's no way to go but up. You understand that either you'll pull yourself off the ground or you'll just stay there. That moment should be experienced by everyone. It was the beginning of my real independence.
I was talking to a guy last week who said he never treat his kids like his parents treated him. They didn't treat him bad. It was actually the opposite. He feels like they never let him fail. When he screwed up, they'd tell him it was ok and they'd give him money. He is very much an adult now and they still pay for many of his expenses. He is a successful professional, but he still receives an allowance! He has a false sense of what the real world actual entails. He doesn't blame his parents, he just wishes that things were not always handed to him. I think it's safe to say that he has never hit rock bottom. Will he be able to overcome this or will he eventually land flat on his face without a clue of how to pull himself up? I don't know. I think that all depends on the person. I don't know about everyone else, but it did wonders for me.
I plan to have the resources to spoil my children very much when they arrive. But I also plan on letting them figure things out on their own for the experience. I'd like them to learn how it feels to hit rock bottom and hopefully they become even more appreciative of the things they have.
I'm sure it is difficult to let your children fail, especially if you can prevent it. But those "real life" experiences, in my opinion, is one of the best gifts that we can give.
Amen!
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