Had kind of a realization tonight, probably obvious to everyone else but… I was thinking about how I’ve said to my son when he’s upset about, say, having to leave a friend or family member he loves being around, that it is hard but good to care about people and that the hurt and sadness are ultimately good because it means you care and love them.
And then I was thinking about why being a caregiver is hard and how we’re taught to avoid the feelings that mean you love and care…
At the same time though, I think I have started to see the difference between worrying and being overly attached to someone, vs just caring and looking after them. Its very easy to conflate the two, and come up with a common conception that "worrying" really does mean that you love someone.
Easier said than done. I have a son now, so feeling the attachment building haha. I take it as something to be mindful about not to "fix"