Yes, going back to that all-important philosophy how you were raised impacts you as an adult.
Growing up on Saturday mornings, if my parents and I were not out camping, I was helping them do yard work or things around the house. It has helped me become the person I am today. And I really like this person!
I love doing yard work. I love getting things done around the house. I can do a lot of things on my own. All because that's what my parents taught me. I can put together a bookcase, install a new light fixture, do all the yard work myself, work on things around the house. Etc.
The difference is I like to do it all.
A friend of mine dated a guy who didn't do anything unless asked. He didn't do the laundry on his own, he didn't do the dishes if he saw them piling up, he wouldn't put things away. He wouldn't even help her bring in the groceries when he saw her walking into the house with her arms full of bags. And in my opinion, this is just the way he was raised. I would find out later that all his brothers are the exact same non-assertive way.
I remember the days as a teenager kicking and screaming being dragged to Home Depot by my Dad. Now, I'm thankful, tho, as I can find just about anything on any aisle because of all those tantrum Saturdays. lol.
Even in my lower 20s, I had an ex that didn't understand why I couldn't tell my parents no, and instead go to a movie with him one Saturday morning. Little did he know, why I became so much more responsible than him.
Being independent and self-sufficient is one thing, but truly enjoying being productive is a pretty cool character to have.
For instance, a couple of months ago I met up with a friend who works on homes and we talked about things I wanted done around the house. As we walked through the house together, he asked me about things and we would add them to the list. Like, new light fixtures, installing a new back door, adding window film art, replacing rotting wooden fence posts with metal posts, fixing some of the cracks on the back patio, etc.
We didn't set a deadline, so I noticed on my open Saturdays I started to do some of the things on my own, lol, that was on the list for him to work on. Sure, I let him install the new back door and easily let him put in new metal fence posts, but I just wasn't the type of person to sit around and not do some of the things on the list myself.
For instance, I removed the large and obtuse florescent lights and their containers from my living room ceiling, then added a new, cool light fixture:
My friends were like, really? Yea, really. And the handy man was just as confused as he was impressed I was doing things on my own.
I also installed the window film art, and I am going to paint the walls myself.
Some people seem to be shocked when I do things on my own. But to me it's a direct attribution to how I was raised and how grateful I am of the woman I've grown into.
Beautiful upbringing and blessed for sure.
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