Have you noticed the best feedback or advice can sometimes be painful? This was the case when my adult son gave me unfiltered relationship advice.
Here is the context. My son, Jake, had just gone through a very tough divorce. I am a problem solver by nature. In this instance, my son and granddaughters had a problem, and I wanted to solve it. When we had some extended time traveling together, Jake took the time to be respectfully honest about our relationship.
Here are the takeaways from our conversation:
1. He needed me as his Dad, not a business challenge to be solved.
2. He and his girls needed me to be present and “all in” relationally.
3. He did not need to feel like his troubles were an inconvenience to my calendar.
As painful as this was to hear, I am grateful my son cared enough about me to share.
I know I have a long way to go, but several years have passed since that conversation. I can honestly say that my relationship with Jake has never been better.
My son did not realize how much his relationship advice has helped me with others.
