Post-Mother's Day appreciation
In thinking about Mother's Day, I got to thinking about my own socially progressive lifestyle and what my parents would think about it. I'm lucky that I can talk to my parents about pretty much anything in my life. I don't always, because, after all, they don't need to know how many hash marks I have on my bedframe, but I could, and I appreciate that.
No matter what crazy lifestyle choices I've made, my folks have been accepting and supportive. I'm bringing home two boys for the holidays? No problem. I'm bringing them to dinner at the commune where I spent lots of time? No sweat. I'm introducing them to my girlfriend and her husband? Whatever floats my boat. If I'm happy, they're happy.
But it's more than that. Because they've always desired my happiness, they've encouraged me to explore the paths to achieve that happiness. They may not know what paths I'm taking, but I'm lucky to have them in my corner.
Not everyone is so lucky, of course, but we all come to our lives both burdened and equipped with tools from our families. I hope that your approach to relationships -- casual and otherwise -- are enabled by things you learned from your parents, either things to do, or, perhaps, the ever-popular things not to do.
This is a good time, too, for those of you who have kids to think about how to raise them with a healthy relationship to sex. Are you sending mixed messages through your behavior and your actions? Do you make sex seem dirty or forbidden? How can you help your children come to be sexual beings in a healthy way? They will, you can be sure, be having sex sooner or later. And if you don't help them know how to do it safely and without harm, either emotional or physical, you can't count on our mixed-up culture doing it for you.
