f you’re gonna laugh, laugh big. This is me with my momma and sister.

When I was 17, in my dark place, I was trying to convince my mom to let me go to another high school. We were arguing about it in the kitchen and because I wasn’t being clear in my reasoning, she wasn’t conceding to my wishes.

In a moment of exasperation and in an effort to get my way, I blurted out, “If you don’t let me, I’ll resent you for the rest of my life!”

Instantly, this wounded her and she walked away. It was also at this point that my dad stepped in and gave me a tongue-lashing for disrespecting my mom.

Years later, I apologized to her and asked for her forgiveness.

This past week, I had a young lady react to a comment I made on Instagram in reference to the tr@ns ideology epidemic. Obviously, I think it’s highly toxic.

She said to me, “I hope when your kids grow up, they resent you.”

Good news for me, two of my children are grown up and I have a beautiful relationship with both.

But, her comment reminded me of my 17-year old self. She was trying to use resentment as a weapon against me just like I tried to use it against my mom in an attempt to get her to cave.

It comes from an immature place and a selfish desire to get what you want, a bit of a bully tactic.

We do this with God, too. If He doesn’t give us what we want, when we want, we grow resentful.

But, oftentimes, we can’t see the bigger picture like those that love us can.

My mom knew it wasn’t wise to uproot me my last semester of my junior year and plant me in a different school.

God often says no to us because He knows what is better, Catholic Pilgrims. True love does not require an acquiescence to our every desire.

*Interesting side note: The school I was trying to go to was a small Catholic school in another town. If I had gone, I would have met Dustin. But…the timing would have been all off because I was a mess. It was better that I met my future husband my junior year of college, not my junior year of high school. God’s timing is everything.