no one has your back like your parents
There is a phase we all go through in high school. You’ve probably passed the age of 16, and you’re getting older and feeling more mature. You have your license, which comes with a tasty side of freedom. You’re thinking about college, and all you talk about with your friends is how much you want to get out of your hometown. Along with all these feelings comes the wanting of separation from your parents. Back in high school, all I wanted was independence and to make my own decisions without authority above me. So, my parents got caught in the crossfire of these feelings. But as it turns out, when I got to college, I realized how much I needed them.
Those first few weeks of freshman year feel like a fever dream. Everything was new and shiny, and I was so happy to have left high school and gone to college. And then classes started, and all those friends I made right away slowly started to fade as everyone got busy. I felt overwhelmed and lonely (as almost everyone does during freshman year), and all I could think about was how much I wanted to talk to my mom. I wanted to go home and be with my parents, but I fought these feelings because I convinced myself that I shouldn’t go home and miss out on things at college. It got better the second semester of Freshman year when I made some close friends, and those feelings of missing my parents started to subside. I always pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind because for all of high school I wanted to get away from them. How could I miss them now?
It wasn’t until sophomore year that I realized needing my parents is not a bad thing. It took getting out of my comfort zone to understand that my mom and dad are my allies and not the authoritarian figures that I made them out to be in high school. When I was stressed about finding an apartment, I called my mom. When I didn’t know how to figure out my money problems, I reached out to my dad. If I had a long day, I put them on speakerphone and vented to them on my walk back to my apartment. I finally understood that wanting them to be on my side was a great thing for me, and can be for anyone.Â
The separation we got when I went to college was the best thing for our relationship. As the saying goes, “distance makes the heart grow fonder”. No one comforts me like my mom, and no one has the best voice of reason like my dad. Disconnecting for a while made me gain an appreciation for my parents, and not grow resentment. So, pick up the phone and call your parents. You might need it more than they do.