That's The Beauty Of Becoming ... Older
By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee
Do you have to constantly get something from another ... for you to give your friendship to?
Do they have to 'buy' you? I remember being younger, and the 'friends' I had ... weren't real friends. I had to keep giving ... this was before I learned I 'could say no'.
One memory comes to mind, was when someone I really liked, came to visit me. I was probably eighteen... she was a little older. She came into my living room all smiles, confidence.
She looked me sitting on the couch in my pretty nightgown, my book close by. She said, "I want your nightgown!" She saw my book, said she'd like to have it, too!
I gave her both... I didn't want to. I didn't know how to get out of it... gracefully. I would have been very embarrassed to have explained 'why' I wanted to keep my nightgown, my book.
It took years to learn to 'say no'. I look back to 'before'... when I should have. It would have saved me so much grief.
You know how being young... you think you have to do everything someone else tells you ... or someone's going to get mad at you. Back then... I couldn't bear for anyone not to like me, much less be mad at me.
Today ... I am myself; I can tell you 'no'! If you don't like it... or turn against me ... you just have to. I can go my way... 'let go' of you. I would never if possible say 'yes' to something I don't want to do, or agree to do. I would wish you all the best.
That's the beauty of becoming a little older...
Photo Credit/ Story are owned by me (of me), #Gloria Faye Brown Bates/ aka #grannygee
I was like you were, but I don't think everyone is like us. I know a lot of people who could stand up for themselves long before they grew older. For whatever reasons, abuse, neglect, or lack of confidence, it took some of us longer to find our power. I feel the way you do now too. I've become stronger and I have learned to say no. It's empowering, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteSometimes it is hard to say "no". I recall saying no as far back as I can remember. I am thinking I may have been selfish as a child. I was the only girl but had 2 brothers. Maybe having brothers helped me to say no because I didn't want them playing with my toys. They had no business in my room so I told them to stay out of it. Guess I wasn't very nice as a young child. Now that we are all grown up----it is hard to say no to my brothers. I don't have a problem saying "no" to people outside my family. If one doesn't say "no" you will end up with nothing because people will take advantage of you. Love, Ms. Nancy
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