Have your parents ever said, "You'll thank me when you're older?"Much to my irratation I heard that repeatedly when I was growing up. When I wasn't allowed to have activities to keep me occupied, 24/7; when I had to (what I thought to be child-labor, then)feed the animals, wash the dishes, weed the garden. I also thought that they must enjoy depriving me of free money when they said the all too popular..."Money doesn't grow on trees, so you will have to earn it".
Now that I am grown, and have my own family, I do thank my parents. With what I thought to be cruel and unloving, was in actuality the best thing a parent could do for a child. What they were doing when they were saying "You'll thank me when you're older" was instilling character-building qualities, like hard work ethics; appreciation for family, and for the hard-earned dollar; satisfaction in a job done correctly; and respect for others.
As I learned these lessons growing up, I was thankful more and more for my parents and their controlled hands that did not give into my every plea, but made me work for what I wanted.
I am so thankful for my parents who loved me so much to show me how to take care of myself and to be content with what I had. "You'll thank me when you're older" was much more loving than "What else can I give you, honey?".
May I look to the future and have the strength to tell my children "You'll thank me when you're older" as my parents said to me.
