A long time ago, a son with no brothers or sisters walked up to his father and asked.
"Daddy, why don't you let me do any fun stuff! I'm old enough! You never let me do anything fun, ever! Your always ruining my life for me!"
The father laughed, and knelt down and hugged his only son. The father walked away with a smile and went off to do some daily chores. The son was angry, and felt that the father wasn't taking him seriously. The son then darted up to his room and stuffed his face into his pillow and cried for hours.
A few years later the son had gotten older and more mature. The son then went to his father and asked him the same question.
"Dad, why don't you let me make my own decisions? I'm definately old enough to start thinking things on my own. Your always ruining things for me."
The father laughed, and walked over to his son and hugged him. The father then walked off so he could do some chores, but this time he asked the son to do them with him. The son was angry again at his father, and he felt like he was not being payed attention to. The son said he didn't want to do chores, but the father snapped his fingers. The son then moaped a little bit and then did chores with his father. When he was done with his chores, the son darted up to his room and slammed the door behind him.
A few more years later, the son had become even older still. And even again, the son had matured moreso. And just like the two previous times, the son went to ask his father the same question.
"Father, I think I've reached a point in my life where I can make my own choices, and live with the consequences of my actions, and even learn from them. Your always hindering me, and not letting me face the future!
The father laughed, and walked over to his son to give him a pat on the back. The father then walked over to the kitchen to grab a list. It was a list of chores to do around the house, and the father handed them to his son. The son took the list and, reluctantly, did the chores he was told to do. When the son was done with his chores, he walked up to his room and sat down in a chair he had made himself. He then rested down his head and pondered for the rest of the day, wondering if his father had payed him any mind at all.
A few more years later, the son had matured as much as a son can. Yet still, he asked his father the same question that he had been asking him for all of his maturing life.
"Hey Pop, I was thinking. You know, I've got a long life ahead of me, and I can't always count on you to make every decision for me. Eventually I'm going to have to make every decision for myself. I haven't reached that far in my life yet, but I have to start learning how to make choices on my own. You think you could help me with this?"
The father look at his son, and instead of laughing, he smiled and nodded his head. The father then walked up to his son, and handed him a house key. The son looked at the key, and wondered why his father had given it to him. The father look sternly into his son's eyes and said...
"Take care of the house OK."
With that, the father walked out the door, and waved goodbye to his son and grandson.
phew...I like writing inspirational stories about life and maturity...if you read through it all, tell me what you think.