Random Thoughts (February 8th)

I've been giving a lot of thought into parents and their behavior towards their children. In particular how parents have "favorites." They really do yet every parent emphatically states that they don't. I believe the ONLY parent who doesn't is our loving Heavenly Father who loves each one of us the exact same! As for parents, on this earth, it really is only natural to like one child over others. Usually it's the one we can most relate to or the one who has the qualities we really like in ourselves so we can be more our self with them. In my case I can honestly say that I don't play favorites, but that's because I only have one!! :-) 

If one honestly thinks about it they can see the truth in the statement. Each one of you, who are parents, can look at their children and determine which one that is. It might not just be one, you might like several more than another. Maybe you have two, three, four, or even five  kids and one is just sooooo not like you and has had some experiences in their life that you just can't relate too so it's difficult to truly want to be around them a lot or you just find yourself calling the others more or something. I just wish we could be honest about this. It's okay because when that child becomes a parent they will have their favorite(s) too.

I guess in my experience it's hard to see, as a child, the favorites of my own parents. I know that I am the one who is and always has been so different from both my parents that I am far from their favorite. I'm okay, well not really, but I have learned to accept that, I just wish my parents weren't embarrassed to actually say this out loud. Instead they admittedly disagree and won't even listen to the fact that there may be some truth to this. 

Now I'm not here to bash my parents but they are the ones whom I know best and am able to really see how this challenge affects others. I just wanted to get it out there, that ALL parents, unless they only have one child, have favorites! They relate better with some over others just as we all do in every relationship. 

Take friendship, for example. Our friends are our friends because they get us and we get them. We understand one another. That doesn't mean that we are angry with everyone else because they aren't our friends or because they don't like us the way they like others. It's just the way it is and we accept that.  But when it comes to family members we aren't so accepting.