Parents

I have long believed that my relationships with my parents have been my most challenging opportunities to place my ideals and principles into action. Since these have been the most challenging opportunities, they have also been the most fruitful in developing my own sense of self and my practice. 

Few human beings devote the time and energy as adults to craft an intentionally evolving relationship with their parents. Roles remain in place while personalities change with age. This is different from intentionally addressing the process of the parent-child relationship through life. This takes time, patience and perserverance.

Sitting across from an elderly parent after years of conflict and attempts to understand each other is a gift to the child who blossoms into a caregiving adult as the parent approaches death. Abandonment of roles in favor of clear-eyed human connection with all its pain and anxiety yields a clarity which is healing for former parent and child.  The most profound transmission of human wisdom about the human experience lies in these moments.