the tables are turned
the relationship between parents and their children is such a strange phenomenon. you grow up watching their every move, deciding to emulate or spurn their behavior "when i grow up", whether its a conscious or subconscious decision. they are cast into a role of solid justice and infinite wisdom, and except for those fractious teenage years, they're who you go to for counsel and guidance.
when asked, i have nothing but praise for the man and woman who raised my siblings and i; i think they did a fantastic job. in addition to governing rule by wit and humor and very little coddling, i think what speaks highest of them is the fact that we were always allowed to make our own decisions, understanding that they may not agree, but they would be supportive. it comes down to a "okay... as long as you're happy..." mantra, and their opinion would still weigh heavily, but not forcefully, in whatever fork we took on our paths.
so i guess the tough part is this: when the role is reversed, and your parents are doing something that you, as their kid accustomed to being the disciple, don't agree with, what do you do? like my sister pointed out, "sometimes it's difficult to remember that they're just people too, trying to figure out their own lives". lord knows, it's hard enough to do that, let alone with a gallery of opinion waiting to weigh in. and because of how i was taught and the liberties i was given, the best i can do is register my disagreement and quietly say "okay... as long as you're happy..."