Daily writing prompt

When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

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I grew up in a strict Christian household with adopted parents that were mean and hypocritical. I wasn’t “allowed” to have a boyfriend but obviously that didn’t stop me and actually made me want to do bad things even more. I loved sneaking out. I would get picked up and we’d go all the way to Palm Springs from Temecula, laughing at my ignorant parents the whole time. The feeling of being grown up hit particularly hard on one of these outings. I was 17, dating a 21 year old and I did cocaine for the first time in a Mormon church parking lot one 2am. Obviously, this is bad. But the moral of the story is, you can’t control children, you can only guide them. My adopted parents tried to control me and made me want to do the opposite of what they said because what they said was bullshit. I no longer have any relationship with my adopted parents because of the mental trauma they put me through. They restricted me in so many different ways mentally and physically. I couldn’t go to therapy and I couldn’t get my drivers license to name just a couple. I think if they would have let me date, I surely would have had a sweet and gentle relationship with a boy from my school, openly. Not sneaking around with someone who shouldn’t be sneaking around with me.

Listen to your children.