Ode to the Pedestal

I was watching television the other night (actually it was the same night, so stop sighing) and the character on the show was talking about how hard it is when you discover your parents aren't what you perceived them to be. I have some connection to this observation.

I would like to tell myself that I had no illusions about my parents, but that wouldn't be true. I guess that I'm lucky in a way. I didn't have my illusions burst until I was much older. I have worked with many children who found out the unfortunate truth that their parent aren't perfect all to early in life. I would have hated to have my ideas about my parents blow to pieces at such a young age.

We put our parents, grandparents, etc., on pedestals that they can't stay on and then get upset with them when they fall off. Notice I said "we", meaning me. I so often want our parents to be superhuman and cry when they turn out to be simply human.

I thought I had stopped having expectations of people, stopped putting them on pedestals, but I haven't. I think it's human nature to want people to be perfect as much as it's human nature to be imperfect. The purpose should not be to put people on pedestal, but to encourage them to climb up themselves.