Being the youngest of 8 kids, your voice doesn't get heard too much. My parents also came from a strict "children are meant to be seen, not heard" upbringing. By the time I was about 11 or 12, I was a really timid and very self-conscious kid. I'd watched sibling after sibling leave for college and kept feeling more and more alone as I got older.
One night during supper, my parents were having a conversation and my mom must have noticed me staring down at my plate in silence. She said, "Cooler, what do you think about this?" I'd never been asked that before. I replied with my thoughts. She listened intently, commented that it was a very good opinion and recommended that what I suggested was a good way to proceed.
Since having a child myself, I've made it a point to always let my daughter know that her voice and opinion mater to me.
It was such a simple gesture, but it meant more to me than anything else in my life to that point.
One night during supper, my parents were having a conversation and my mom must have noticed me staring down at my plate in silence. She said, "Cooler, what do you think about this?" I'd never been asked that before. I replied with my thoughts. She listened intently, commented that it was a very good opinion and recommended that what I suggested was a good way to proceed.
Since having a child myself, I've made it a point to always let my daughter know that her voice and opinion mater to me.
It was such a simple gesture, but it meant more to me than anything else in my life to that point.
