A Story

an example of what's going in my book

“Hannah has moved into her new condo”, my friend Jo tells me. Hannah is Jo’s 28 year old daughter. “Cool,” I respond. “How’s she liking it?”

And here comes the story you know very well.

Jo continues, “You know how you make suggestions to kids and they don’t seem to take them? Then later they realize you were right.”

“Yep. Happens all the time.”

“Well, Hannah just went out and bought a new ceiling fan for her upstairs spare room. Her boyfriend installed it last night. I suggested she get one the same day we sat with the designer. Before the condo was even built. She could have had a fan when she moved in.”

“Frustrating, isn’t it?” I side with my friend Jo.

“Oh, and she is looking for cheap blinds for the room, too. Didn’t want those when I made the suggestion. Her office is in that room. She’s baking hot up there! Just like I told her, she needs a fan and blinds to keep the room cool.” Jo gives a perfunctory eye roll.

“You didn’t say ‘I told you so’ did you?” Jo shakes her head. Clever woman. Knows when to stick out her tongue and bite down.

Chances are Hannah didn’t declare, “Mom, you were right!” If you ever, ever, hear those words ‘Mom, you were right’, hug that child as tightly as a big Mama bear. Soak in the moment. And hug them some more.

This is one of the stories we parents know to be true.

Our Adult Kids deem our experiences useless. Our advice falls on deaf ears. It doesn’t matter that Jo is an interior designer, a professional with 10 years experience, her own business! Doesn’t matter at all.

Jo is Hannah’s Mom. That’s who was talking when Hannah wasn’t listening, her Mom. Not a professional designer.

Know this feeling?

Have a story when your words fell on deaf ears?

Do share!

And a reminder…if you are chatting with me…and we exchange stories of our Adult Kids…chances are it will end up in the book. Names will be changed to protect both the Advice Giver and the Deaf Ears.

Cheers!