Sixteen. Practicing with family

A lot of people jump into a new relationship as a way of trying to move past the pain and complexity of their own families. Like, “maybe this time things will be better”. It’s amazing to look at the speed in which people leave their families behind and the distance they add as a buffer between them. This may not be you, but perhaps you could ask yourself: “Am I moving towards my parents with my relationships and future plans, or away from them?”

You can only multiply the quality of your own life, and that includes your history. What you don’t deal with, you multiply. You may not think that’s the case because everything seems fresh (new town, new people, new him or her). But as time goes on, context develops. The same context that added tension and exacerbated the internal issues of your parents. When your context includes money issues, children, and health problems, be prepared to see how much like your parents you really are. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s probably lots about them that you’re already appreciating in your own life. I guess I just want to encourage you to not run from the negative stuff. You have to go through that stuff to change it.