Ask Nana: My Parents Judge Me!
Dear Nana,
How do you deal with a parent who gives you grief about your sexual orientation?
–Hurting in Louisiana
Dear Hurting,
Let me ask you this: Are you going to change your sexual orientation if your parents don’t like it? I’m guessing that the answer is no. I would hope that is the case. Just tell them that’s who you are and if they can’t deal, they can go to hell. End of story.
Look, it’s not the same, but when I brought my husband home to meet my parents, they didn’t like him. I have no idea why. He was so charming, intelligent and funny that day—of course he was like that every day, may he rest in peace. My mother came around, but you know fathers don’t want to lose their little girls. What kind of sickness is in that, I don’t want to know. But anyway, my father didn’t like my then boyfriend at all. Even after we were married, there was tension in the room whenever they were together. Finally, I told him, I says “Daddy, this is the man I’m going to be with for the rest of my life. If you can’t deal with it, you can go to hell. You have to come around or you won’t see us again.” That was such a strong statement in those days. You didn’t just cut off your family. But my father apparently thought about it and fixed his attitude almost immediately.
You see, your parents are probably like most in that they love you and worry about your happiness. Tell them you’re happy and expect them to fix their attitude. It really is that simple…
Love,
Nana
Nana is an 85 year old Jewish grandmother living in a nice, comfortable retirement community in New Jersey. She is currently the reigning state champion of Mah Jong for the 8th year in a row. She loves peace and quiet and loves to share her opinion whether you want to hear it or not.
Related posts:
- Ask Nana: How Do I Communicate My Needs? Dear Nana, How do you communicate your needs to your...
- Dealing With In-Laws Dear Shai, I guess I would appreciate some coping strategies...
- The Etiquette of Having Children in Your Wedding Party On average, gay couples get married at an older age...
- The Etiquette of your Table Assignments Ahh, table assignments, a task combining spreadsheets, volatile emotions and...
- Barbara G. Meyer: Psychic Entertainment Barbara G. Meyer How did you get your start in...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
