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Parenting Lesson

Watched The Assistant recently and really liked it. A movie about nothing at some level but depending on the viewer's perspective, it can be and mean different things. I watched from the vantage point of a parent who has a child close to the protagonist's age. Soon it will be J's will be working her first job out of college. Her days will be busy and like it often happens, the dream job of early youth can be a world apart from dreams. All of that happened to Jane, the Assistant to a famous movie mogul. Two times during the span of that day, Jane tried to communicate with her parents about what was bothering her and she could not quite do it. The conversation was steered by the loving and enthusiastic parents and at some point her desire to open up got snuffed. 

Being able to seize the precise moment when our kid was ready to unburden, be vulnerable and share is the hardest part of being a parent for me. These two scenes with Jane on the phone trying in vain to have a real conversation with her parents stood out for me. Even the kid with the best laid out plans, incredible ability to execute may feel they are completely lost. I make every effort to read between the lines of what J says and what she leaves unsaid. Try to spot any signs of discomfort that she may not be telling me about. Despite my efforts, I may miss the clues like the parents of Jane did in the movie. 

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