Our
parents always think of us as their
little children, I'm sure that when I'm 40 and have a developed family of my own my parents will still think of me as their
child. The memories of my
childhood that they hold will fade a little as time goes by, but the feelings of affection and
possession will always be there.
Over the years though, parents tend to give way, they loosen their hold on their children and let them out on their own, and then at some point, they acknowledge the fact that you are mature, that you are grown up. I don't think that everyone can pinpoint the exact moment when they realise that their parents have accepted that their child need not be guarded every moment of the day.... I do....
I would rush downstairs, 10 minutes late and searching for my wallet or phone. My dad would be sitting in the lounge watching TV, and as I hurried towards the door he would call out and halt me..
Him: Who's party is this again?
Me: It's Paul's 16th birthday...
Him: Is he the tall guy? Kind of goofy looking?
Me: No, that’s Travis. Paul is the shortish guy with blonde hair and glasses.
Him: Aah yes, Smith? Is that his name?
Me: Yeah
Him: So.... Are there going to be girls at this party?
Me: Probably not...
This was the usual pre-party conversation, him checking up, gauging the social progress of my group as we all matured, god knows what would have happened if he had heard something that he hadn't liked, probably the oft-mentioned by seemingly never-given 'talk'.
Soon the answers changed from Probably Not to Maybe... from Maybe to Possibly...
And then he stopped asking.
He didn't stop asking because I told him it was none of his business, or because he knew that there were going to be girl's in attendance... that’s not a guaranteed thing even now.. I believe that he stopped asking because he knew he could trust me.. and that I had grown up.