It's Part of Growing Up

By: Sue and Chuck DeFiore
Submitted: 2008-03-14 12:02:43
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When we grew up we had falls, got bruises, got knocked down. There were disappointments, rejections, controversies, and things that we just weren’t allowed to do. We had respect for those older than us.

I am sure many of you reading this can remember when falling down and getting bruises and skinning your knees and elbow was part of growing up. No one protected us from this, it was just part and parcel with being a kid. We had fun, enjoyed ourselves and didn’t think a thing of it, if we fell down. For most of us the iodine our moms put on our scraps hurt more than getting hurt did.

We got  bruises from jumping off things and running around and just being kids. We didn’t wear padding and helmets to protect ourselves. Life happened. Our moms and dads told us to be careful, but hect we were kids, and to us the most important thing was having fun and being adventurous. We were curious, had an imagination, and wondered about things. We experimented with things and life.

When we got knocked down, we didn’t quit, we got back up again.  We were taught “if at first you don’t succeed try, try again” and for us as kids this carried over to our outdoor play time too. We belonged to Cub Scouts, little League teams and played pick up games. There was a winner and a loser. While we all wanted to be on the winning side, we knew that both teams couldn’t win and there was always a next time. When we did lose we thought about why, what mistakes did we make, how can we not make them again. We didn’t BLAME the other team and have vendettas for the other players. There were rules that were followed when playing baseball, football, soccer, kickback and we ALL followed them. If you broke the rules, you were no longer a part of the team.

We got in scraps or disagreements with our friends, we tussled and then we made up and played with them the next day again. We didn’t hold a grudge and make plans to attack them. These things happened, and if it was a really bad falling out we just didn’t play with that kid anymore and found a new friend instead.

We had disappointments in our lives. That is how we grew and matured. When we were told NO by our parents, it was NO not maybe, and if we caused a fuss, we were reprimanded, our parents didn’t GIVE IN. They were preparing us for life, because they knew that as we grew older and got out into the world that we would have many disappointments and wanted us to be prepared.

We had respect for our parents, teachers, and policemen, fireman, in fact all of our elders. We didn’t call our parents by their first name, they were mom and dad. Our teachers were always addressed as either Mr. and Miss, Mrs. We never ever addressed any of them by their first names. In fact anyone older than us we didn’t know was a Sir or Madame.

It was “Part of Growing Up”. Too bad the children today can’t learn these same lessons, but then again I’m not sure their parents have learned them either. Just think of what they could accomplish and contribute if they did.

DeFiore Enterprises, 2007

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