Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPhil
That's extremely judgmental and labeling. There are plenty of parents who are proud that their master status is that of parent. That includes but is not limited to stay-at-home parents (some of whom have advanced degrees) whose full-time job is to proudly raise their children until they reach a certain age.
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Maybe so. Admonishment accepted.
In my defense, I guess what I'm reacting to are the parents I've (personally) seen who make being a parent
the defining aspect of their identity. Once the child is grown, they are totally adrift. I know many parents who are justifiably proud of what they did as parents and consider their greatest accomplishment, and rightfully so. Where I get uncomfortable is when the parent loses himself or herself in parenthood, and that's what I was referring to.
And while I'm at it, I'll say that my opinion in this thread may be colored by the fact that I'm not a "card person." I forget (or don't bother) to carry business cards on me most of the time. I probably hand out fewer than one dozen a year. As for calling cards, about the only time my wife and I use them is in wedding presents or the like. I'm not criticizing people who get them or hand them out at all -- I'm just saying that's not me.
It's almost Lent. I'll try to do better with my judgmentalism.
