Who's The Boss?
Not needing your parents' blessing anymore is...a blessing.
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In my other life, I speak to single people. I speak to the world about single people, and how maybe we’re not a less-than version of adults. Recently, a podcast listener who I hope knows how cool she is asked me what to do about her parents, who were reluctant to approve of her planned cross-country move. They approved of her (younger) sister’s prior move, of course, because she’s married. This is a beautiful convergence of two of my favorite topics: singlehood, and the Babies Of Boomers. Any chance I have to help people break free from the emotional handcuffs of both, I will.
A version of my answer was published in a podcast episode which you can listen to here, but you might enjoy my words better when I’ve edited them for a week. Also some of us prefer to read what others prefer to hear. I’ve never listened to an audiobook in my life and I never shall.
Here’s something us kids were never given tools or encouragement to understand: Once you’re a grown-up, you can do whatever the fuck you want. Even if your parents don’t want you to. It’s allowed, your life, how you want it, is allowed. You are free to disappoint the shit out of these people and if they don’t still love you afterward, that’s on them, not you. We are a generation of people raised thinking we were responsible for our parents emotions and moods. No shit we can’t make so much as a Target run without their blessing.