What can I do when my parents drive me crazy?
His Grace Bishop Mousa:
It is important first to look at yourself. Are you egocentric and unwilling to let your parents share in your life? This is surely not correct because you are in need of your parents’ advice and guidance, and you cannot rely on your own wisdom. These days we may feel that we know everything, but we must consider that there are four areas of growth and maturity in a human being’s life: physical growth, psychological growth, mental growth and spiritual growth. During the teenage years, physical growth is sudden, but the other areas mature gradually. So do not forget or neglect that there is a gap in maturity during the teen years. This gap is to be filled with guidance from God and the Holy Scriptures, the guidance of your spiritual father, and the guidance of your parents at home.
Sometimes their ways can be annoying and they may seem over-protective, but you must bear in mind the motive behind their actions, which is love and caring.
Therefore you must feel this need for communicating with them and be convinced that at present you are not yet mature in all four areas. Even in sexual life there are two main areas of growth: the physical and the psychological. Again the physical is sudden, but the psychological is gradual – during your teenage years you are in a stage called “general hetero-sexuality” which means you are looking at the opposite sex in general. Today you may like someone, but tomorrow you may not. This is not because you are bad, but this is the life, the science, and the psychology of this age group. After your teen years, you come to another stage called “selective heterosexuality”, and it is at this stage that you are now ready to choose your partner in life. In addition, during your teenage years, you are not yet ready mentally, or spiritually, for at this age you will not have the concept of asking for God’s guidance in examining the spiritual life of both yourself and your partner. Therefore in order to select the right partner in life, it is necessary that you recognize these four areas of growth.
