That was a statement I made to my stepmom when I took her out to lunch last weekend and decided to wear one of my ‘Don’t waste your WAP sweatshirts’. Yeah, I said one of them. I have 2, one that’s off-the-shoulder and a plain one, which I wore that day. We were overdue for a mother-daughter date and had a few errands to run, and it was chilly outside so I reached for that and a pair of skinny jeans. The look she gave me when I got in the car almost made me turn around and head in the house and change, but I stood my ground, declared “I’m grown” and we went on our way.
Now don’t get me wrong, my parents aren’t prudes. I didn’t grow up sheltered, we had the birds and the bees talk when I was younger. We’ve talked about birth control and sex when I was a teenager, in fact I’m the oldest child and I’m the only one who’s not married and/or has kids. So they know that we’re not out here being celibate or anything. I think what shocked her was hold bold a statement the sweatshirt made. The picture above wasn’t taken that day, but it’s the off-the-shoulder version of the one I wore so you can see how plain it is. The only people who would know what my sweatshirt meant were those who have heard the song.
My attire definitely got us talking that day, and she reminded me that while I’m legally an adult, I’m still her child. And she was right. While I don’t need their permission or approval to do things in my life anymore, I do value their input. I still check in with them when I travel, and send over my itinerary and lodging info. My dad regularly lets me know that he will move heaven and hell to get to me in my time of need and he’s done in the past. I still enjoy the big bear hugs from my dad, rubbing my step-mom’s hair, and honestly just chilling and talking to them. I still go over there and raid the pantry and fridge, even though I keep food at home, and I still have “Mom” and “Dad” in their contact names in my phone. I will legit tell Siri to call “Mom mobile” or “Daddy mobile” when I’m trying to reach them. Our relationship has changed a bit as I’ve gotten older, and I now understand why they made certain decisions when I was younger. My love for them has stayed the same through the years, but my respect for them has grown now that I’m an adult. It’s nice to be able to treat and take care of them like they have done for me throughout the years, and I’m looking forward to the next stage in our relationship.