Understanding Parents

            Everyone has conflicts and misunderstanding with their parents. Brad Manning and Sarah Vowell’s stories clearly portray this. Though both initially cannot get along properly or communicate well with a parent, they eventually realize that there is love in their relationships and that they are more similar than they had originally thought; Manning assumes his father’s role in their family and faces responsibility while Vowell honors her father and his hobbies. Through their competition, Manning and Vowell mature and learn to accept their parents; both also discover a profound respect for each parent in the process of reconciliation.

            These stories are extremely relatable and prompt one to analyze one’s own relationship with a parent. Like Manning and his father, my own dad and I have trouble communicating with each other. I find his nagging and questioning annoying and often yell at him to stop and “go away.” However, my mom tells me that his questions are his attempts to talk to me and express love/concern; he has my best interests at heart, but he just does not know how to communicate this effectively. I hope to one day be able to understand my father and express my appreciation for him as well.