Grasping Adulthood

As a child, life seemed so black and white, cut and dry. In a child's eyes adults were perfect. They had no faults and knew the answers to everything. In the eyes of our childhood innocence, adults didn't have faults. If they had problems, they were adults, and in the eyes of a child, adults could fix anything, including their own problems. The utmost supreme adults in every child's realm were their own parents. Parents were not only adults, but the alpha adults of our individual universe. Parents were invincible. Parents protected us from harm, made us feel safe and secure, and lovingly provide for our needs. In our eyes, parents only had one main purpose, to be the strong hold in our lives. They had all the answers and could stop a problem dead in its tracks. Parents made everything better.

I can't put a finger on the time in life when the realization is made that parents were not the superheroes we made them out to be. I would guess around the time Formal Operational thought kicks in at age 12-16. Maybe not until the end of high school. Who knows? It happens however, and when it does, the realization is as sobering as the day you learned the truth about Santa.
As we grew older, we realized how individualistic we all really were. Not only could our parents be wrong and not solve the world's problems, but they could also possess values that were totally different than ours. The further we ventured away from the nest, the more we realized that the world had many sets of values and standards. The world was full of cultures galore, each one with their own teachings. All philosophies were no more wrong or right than the other. The more time spent away from the nest, the further away you flew, maturing along the way. Lessons were learned. Wisdom was gained. You developed a respect for the beauty in the differences of all individuals.
Parents now took on new meaning. Parents were now respected adults and equals. Thought patterns were no longer similar, but regardless, you loved and respected your retired superheroes. How could you not? Your individuality sprouted from the early teachings of your parents. Their values were all that were needed while your world revolved so close within their world. As you matured, you developed a mindset based upon experiences, travels, and people met in life. As you return home as your own unique soul, you can only hope that the respect between yourself and your parents is equal. If it is, you are truly blessed. If it isn't, don't take it personally. You were meant to grow in different ways.
Life is never easy. If it were, it would not be beneficial to our growth. The greatest gift to give yourself is making peace with your life even if you have lost the respect of your invincible superheroes of childhood.