Overheard my dad say 'you don't need to apologize for stuff you didn't do' after I apologized for a spilled drink

I was at a diner in Akron last month and spilled ketchup on the table, then immediately said sorry to my dad. He told me I didn't need to apologize for stuff I didn't do, and it hit me that he spent 20 years making me apologize for everything from bad grades to his bad moods. Has anyone else realized a parent's weird rule was actually about them controlling you?

2 comments

2 Comments

ross.felix1mo ago

That ketchup thing is real, man. My mom used to make me thank her for food she bought for me, like I was a guest in my own kitchen.

-1

umamartin1mo ago

I get that, but I kinda see it differently. My mom had the same rule, but for me it was more about learning basic gratitude than her acting like I was a guest. Your mileage may vary though, families are weird like that.