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Aging, Reflections, Parents, Values, Identity
What We Have Gained from Our Parents
Reflecting on the values, lessons, and identities we got from Mom and from Dad
As we move into our 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond, there are a number of aspects of our lives that we tend to reflect on: our life purpose, the goals we have and haven’t achieved, our overall level of happiness and satisfaction with life, and many others.
One area that we may not have paid attention to are the specific things that we’ve gained from having the mother that we had, and having the father that we had. Interestingly, we may not have a lot of insight on these particular questions until we’re older, and have had the better part of a lifetime to reflect on.
Quite a few years ago, I read a very enlightening book (which a number of you are most likely familiar with) — by James Redfield. Among many other interesting topics, he discusses the importance for all of us of reflecting on the role our mother played in shaping who we are, as well as the role our father played. He asserts that developing this insight about both our parents allows us to understand ourselves and our life paths on a much deeper level.
