I once thought I would be a perfect mother. It __31__ me 16 years to learn that I could not be. I know that I make some mistakes. __32__ I could raise my children again, I __33__ repeat those mistakes. Maybe I would make new __34__. But I think I would do a _35___ job.
I would try to understand my children. I often did what my __36__ would have done. I __37__ their ways of raising children. For example, I had my 13-year-old son, David, come home early, but he __38__ this rule. He saw no reason for it. __39__ a girl, I had to be home early. I wanted my son to do the __40__ thing. Now I would think more about why I wanted things done in a certain way.
My father was sick when I was young. So my sister, my brother and I were __41__ all the time. We did not cry in anger and we didn’t laugh for __42__. I just wanted my children to be quiet, too. I never stopped __43__ “why”.
It was hard for me to let my children show anger. I __44__ them when they started to get angry. Now I would tell my children, “ It is all right to show love and it is right to show anger. Your feelings are good. I love you no matter __45__ you feel.”