THEY NOT LIKE US!

Whew chile, t's tough sometimes to make our voices heard and for others to truly understand when we're trying to communicate effectively. When we're not on the same page, it can be incredibly frustrating, especially with the younger generation. We've lived through experiences, made mistakes in financial decisions, perhaps in our love lives and other choices that, in hindsight, we wish we could redo. However, these experiences were essential for our personal growth. We didn't have the insight we do now—it's called wisdom! This brings me to the topic of trying to communicate effectively with our adult children, particularly our adult daughters.

I vividly remember debating with my own mother, thinking I knew everything. I used to believe she didn't "get it." My stubborn younger self wouldn't accept that despite the generation gap, my mom had seen and experienced more life than I had at that point. Now, we are those mothers dealing with our own adult daughters, whether it's differences in opinions on raising our grandkids or handling life's challenges. What I've come to understand is that they too need to grow. They need to experience more life and make their own mistakes, and all we can do as their mothers is be there for them if and when they stumble. Over time, they'll come to realize that we did know what we were talking about. We give them the credit they deserve, and most of the time, we share the same core values, which become a part of them. We can't stop trying to guide them, even if we face resistance, because parenting doesn't end when they turn eighteen. They will soon to realize that they have indeed become just like us and modeling themselves just like us. I've come to realize that it just the cycle of life. Living, learning, and growing!