Does my mother knows of my Despair?

As parents, we wish our kids’ to do better than us.  We want them to excel in life.   In our quest of a legacy, to have a secure future for our progeny, have we stopped and ask them what they want?

 

Drop whatever you are doing.  Be still and listen to this unspoken plea.  Yes, it is written by me but it comes from many kids.

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Slice of Life I am writing this post for Slice of Life Challenge hosted by Two Writing Teachers.  We write & post each Tuesday and whole month of March. Come join us.

Thank you Kevin, for introducing me to plethora of experiences, including Two writing Teachers and connected learning MOOCs.

#SOL18  #CLMOOC

 

 

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16 thoughts on “Does my mother knows of my Despair?

  1. Wow. This is powerful and so many will be able to relate to it. I’ve had many students over the years that who worried they weren’t doing enough or that their parents could never be proud of them if they got a B or even an A-. We put an awful lot of pressure on kids….

    • Deb,

      With age comes wisdom. Being a mom allows us to appresciate our parents and then, Being a crisis text online counselor have exposed me to the world I was not aware of being a mom and an educator.

      Being a first generation immigrant parent, I am guilty of saying “(0? What happened to other 10?” Being in classroom and being student again have taught me to lay off my “Excellent grade only” mentality.

      I have to constantly remind myself, I have a life and so does my progeny. If I want to do something, I can. They should be expected to follow their own path. Hopefully, I am practicing what I preach.

  2. How powerful. It is true that we don’t know what is going on in the minds of our children. We don’t often take the time to really see them and listen to then. Thanks for the wake up call.

  3. Robert,

    Thanks.

    Now the task is to keep this call in forefront of our minds and truly listen to young people in our lives. We need to make moments for them where they can breathe freely without being weighed down from our expectations and perceived challenges.

  4. “broken inside” — too many of our kids are. Teachers — we must always take notice, even if the family doesn’t. Your poem is a powerful reminder of the fragility of spirit, and how we often hide our most vulnerable selves from even those we love.
    Peace,
    Kevin

  5. “wonder if I can tell her” is a line that makes me wonder — what more can we do in our homes and schools to encourage kids to speak up about their worries? Homes are often busy struggling day to day and classrooms are busy under mandates. Yet, we teach children [even early college years, they are still not fully aware and secure]. We need to connect and let them share. Such a powerful poem and so glad to be part of your community.

    • Sheri,

      We all need to be still and listen. Easier said than done.

      I write with my kids. I used to do same with my students as classroom teacher too. Writing with them and reading what we have written allows me to share and learn about kids and what they choose to share.

      Building relation takes time. We need to have more adults to whom the kids can turn to. Teachers, aunts, mentors, parents…

      And then, we need trying. Trying is half the battle.

      I am glad we are connected as well.

      Purviben

  6. This is such a sad, lonely piece. How often are we estranged from those we most love? A friend recently wrote about how hard it is to “loosen the shackles of expectation.” Your slice reminds me of that.

    • Molly,

      Thanks for the visit and the connection.

      Feel free to link your friend’s post in comments. I would love to read it.

      The concern in “Does My Mother Knows…” is not being estranged but not being able to express the feelings = miscommunication between a parent and a child. Parents here have no idea that the child is suffering inside. To me, it is the sad part of situation.

      Best wishes.

      Purviben

      • I meant estranged in the sense of emotionally distanced or not being able to connect, not in the sense of turning away or choosing not to connect. I’ll need to double check the nuances of the definition– A good reminder that careful word choice is key!

    • Brian,

      Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts. Yes, we need to plan future with not for the kids. Most times it is the parents’ hopes – not a culprit in itself , but still.

      Who among us have not think at times…if only the kids will pay more attention, will study more, will be off electronics… than they will learn more, will grasp the concept better.

      Peace

  7. A beautiful piece, and one that demands reflection. I grew up with loving parents who always wanted the best for me, and gently nudged me to being all I could be. I do hope I have done the same for my 4 daughters.

    • Dani,

      Parents walk on a very thin line between pushing their kids to excel and pushing their kids too far. Many times, what parents hope for their kids to achieve and what kids thinks parents expect them to achieve are two different things. I believe at the end of the day, all parents want their kids to be happy, healthy and fulfil their purpose in life.

      I watched “The Death of a Salesman” couple decades ago as a student and then again sometimes last year with family. Both fathers wanted best for their kids, ya?

      Amaze is a junior & according to her, we had to pur college talks on hiatus for a month (a Month not talking about college plans for A??? How did I survive them? LOL). I also hope that I am communicating with my teens that they are in charge of their life and we are their to support them.

      Thanks for visiting. Come again.

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