Hi Dr. Laura,
Thank you for doing what you do. I've always tried to look in the mirror and own who I am good and bad. I've always tried to tell and teach my kids about personal responsibility and to pass-on the wisdom that I've gained in my own life to them.
It's been frustrating to me at times that my words seem to be ignored by my kids. I always chalked it up to the fact that they are teenagers. Recently, it dawned on me that perhaps it is not my words or wisdom that they are blowing-off... but my DELIVERY!
I'm now conscious of that and am trying to alter their perception of where my words are coming from. Are they coming from anger? Frustration? Or LOVE? They're not going to like all of the bitter pills of life that I inform them of, no matter how they're delivered. But at least I am aware that I am not always perceived accurately and that I need to be sure that I'm doing what I can to make sure that the message that I'm TRYING to communicate, is being received. Like everything else in life, this lesson will of course be a daily struggle that needs to be fine-tuned and remembered constantly.
Life is a journey, right?
John
