Parental Guidance

I was supposed to post a topic on 'Guy Friend' tonight
but I was watching Parental Guidance, starring Billy Crystal (Or you might recognize his voice as Mike Wazowski from Monster Inc)
So, I got side track and decided to share my thoughts on this movie's moral instead.

This movie has been in my external hard disk for so long. 
I was bored and didn't know what else to watch tonight (coz I usually just watch other movies yg I already watched; Easy A, Mulan, Salt, etc). So, as i was scrolling thru the movies I had, I came across Parental Guidance and I double clicked it.

and I just finished crying.

Here's a synopsis taken from iMDb website;

Artie and Diane agree to look after their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents need to leave town for work. Problems arise when the kids' 21st-century behavior collides with Artie and Diane's old-school methods.

I think I cried because how Alice, Artie's daughter, think of her father reminds me of how I think of my mother. and the things Artie said, when they had their 'talk' makes me think that is how my mother must have felt.

I've never been close with my mother like other people do. Our relationship is strictly on mother and daughter basis; She's the superior and I am the kuli. I used to think that she raised me wrong but for so long now, I think she did what she was able. The terms 'I learned things on my own' is a lie. I don't learn things on my own, I had other people guiding me. I guess what makes me think that I was on my own was because they were not taught by my mother. All I can remember right now is how often I was being scolded by other parents for my 'unruly' behavior. 
I'm not saying my mom was a bad parent. 
She at least taught me how to be independent.

All I'm putting out tonight is that, we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves just because we were brought up that way. From what I've learned so far (coz believe me, I'm forever learning), you have a choice. You can choose to not be how your parents were. 
I heard sometimes ago that you can't break away from what you've been 'taught' growing up; meaning you are your parents child, and the way they brought you up is the only guidance you had on how you supposed to grow up to be. but that theory is stand to be corrected.
Because I've seen it. I've seen people with such horrible up bringing becoming so successful in life. I'm not talking about them getting better income or better lifestyle though that is the perks but I'm talking about successful for not being in such horrible situations anymore.
That is why I strongly believe you can break away from it.

I know old habits are hard to break.
My mom and I (with my other siblings too) are trying to 'reconcile' our 'relationship' since a few years back; coz we hardly ever talked with our mother like how you talked with your mother, 
but it's hard especially for me. 
The good thing is, we are still trying and willing to continue to try and be civil (coz one way or another, thing always ended up into a 'fight'). 
I think that is the most important thing; Try.
Coz you don't know until you try, right?

. . .

disclaimer: I'm not saying me and my mother don't talk to each other. I'm saying we're just not as close as how other Mother and Daughter relationships that I've seen. Ok? OK.

. . .