You know, I love kids (parentified eldest of four: kids are blameless for being in tough circumstances & deserve to be treated as full people), but there's also something... so important about the almost amusing look of pity I get when a family out begging with kids finds out I don't have any of my own. There's this nasty, simplistic notion that poor people "shouldn't" have kids, but the flash of pity is genuine: being cash-poor doesn't mean some don't still see themselves as rich in other ways.
😅 I do believe that's in their job description at that age!
There's a quote that's been misattributed to Mark Twain since 1915, since it sure as heck *sounds* as clever as anything he'd say. Even without the pedigree, though, it's good to keep in mind:
"When I was 17, my father was so stupid, I didn't want to be seen with him in public. When I was 24, I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in just 7 years."
🫂 Congrats on making a whole "adult" person! The rest will come.