What were your parents doing at your age?

It was 1997. I was 13 years old. My mum was 41 and dad was 40. They were still working full time. They were also too busy raising us and disciplining us.

There was lots of drama at home back then. One example of that drama had to do with my studies. I was a freshman in highschool with disappointing grades. They’d have a go at me because of it. My parents used to tell me how they worked so hard to give us what we want and to send us to that school. That the least we could do was study hard and get good grades. I was not sure whether I felt bad after being told off. I just carried on being a carefree teenager. The only things that mattered to me back then were anime, the Internet and my friends. The Internet was still new so I was almost always in our computer surfing.

Out childhoods were still awesome despite the silly drama. We never had to struggle financially because our parents worked hard. Our weekends were spent shopping, going to the cinema with them or eating out at restaurants.

Now, they’re both retired. Mum is active in church and my dad just stays home almost all day chilling.

While my parents were too busy working and raising 3 children in their 40’s, I am, in the present, working full time with no husband (I am divorced and that will be another story), and no kids. I still (sometimes) struggle financially because of my impulsive buying though 😅. My life is almost completely different from them. All I do was work, spend time with friends and be a couch potato.

I have always wondered how they were able to do all it when we were young. Juggling work, looking after us and making sure we got all we need is a lot of hard work. I owe a lot to them. I would not be where I am now if it was not for them.