A Happy New Year to All Readers

Happy New Year to all of my readers!

This letter is written to readers and families -

After all the celebrations, we will sit down and think that after all, it is simply another year of our lives. A year ends, and another year begins. Remember the last time we celebrated the countdown to 2007? To me it felt like yesterday, but this year I have accomplished big things. To the adults, the experience has already lost its novelty, having celebrated it at least 30 years already. To the elderly, it may be another year to celebrate their retirement, and another year given to them to celebrate and treasure moments with their family and friends.

Yet for me I feel comforted to live in a family like mine, and although we have arguments everyday, the safest place to me is home. Although at times, we do feel neglected and lonely at home, we all know that at the end of the tunnel there's still light. We would sulk and balk at the thought of unreasonable parents, but we know that at the lowest level of all the world's unreasonability, there's still care and concern.

As a person entering his teens, I really feel that nearly all of the times the unreasonability is so huge and large that it is impossible to see the care and concern. But impossible is nothing and nothing is impossible. When we sit down and quietly reflect all the times of unreasonable statements from our parents, we would realise that each of them hide care and concern.

Even if the words are covered with the venom of sarcasm and produced with an acid tongue, we know that they are said simply 'for our own good'.

But I am no moron. For all the lines you have been reading previously, you would say that I don't know what it is like. Yes, I might not know what it is like. But after all, surely your parents took 10-20 years to bring you up, and not forgetting your mother, who sheltered you in her womb for 9 months? The reason I mentioned this would be to emphasize the fact that all parents have the same responsibility - to make sure we all grow up, and to some extent, be a useful person.

Then there is without doubt the time when you think that Mum and Dad's 'for your own good' isn't for 'my own good', because it does not go the way you want it, be it good or bad. But we (as teens) must be fully aware that none in the household have telepathic abilities, and that without voicing out your own opinions, no one is going to know what you really feel.

There are parents though who simply refuse to listen to your opinions, and as children I believe there is utterly no choice but to listen - as you grow more rebellious, even the (toughest) parents do.

I believe that all the parents have the same responsbility - to make sure we all grow up, and to some extent, be a useful person. And to help us be useful people, I know communication is the key. Both parent and child must listen, and without doubt, talk. (Isn't that the reason why I have a tagboard?)

A parent who does not listen is a lousy parent. A child who does not listen is a lousy child. (It's no wonder bad kids don't listen) Yet, we all notice that it really is a circle - the child must listen to the parent, and if the child disagrees, he/she would talk to the parent. Following that, the parent listens, and explains his/her reason for doing that.

But due to obvious reasons that the young must also listen to the elderly as a sign of respect, the process stops there, and the child listens to the parent.

However in today's society, things are definitely different. Both parent and child must communicate and listen, before things can work. It would no longer be the case of the elderly instructing the youth, instead, the youth now takes a larger role as we gain more understanding of our society at a much younger age. Now, in order for peace to reign at home, both elderly and youth must listen to one another.

It is evidently not a case of 'I talk you listen' anymore.

Living in my family has helped me to understand that all parents do care for their child, and as teens we really should recognise that, even though all the shoutings and screamings don't give you a single hint of care.

It may not matter much to some of you - I am confident that in households where there is peace both parties listen to each other. However, I hope through this, I have enlightened some of my friends, and no matter whether you have disagreed or agreed with some things I wrote, I hope I have helped you.



Happy 2008!
Jonathan


P.S Do tag your comments on the tagboard! I'm pretty lonely anyway