“I didn’t raise my children like that, but they have changed.”
“My children were perfect, but now I don’t know what’s wrong with them.”

How many times have you heard those sentences from parents?Or,maybe you are one of those parents yourself!  

I have heard such stuff more times than you can ever imagine and every time I hear such, I pity the person who is complaining because most of the time they are themselves the cause of this problem (since they consider it as a problem). 

Even before parents decide to have kids, they must put clear expectations about their kid’s future.  They must form clear decisions about how they want their kids to think and behave, what job they have to get, and even what religion they must follow etc.

You may dictate your children’s behaviour till a certain time/and age. However, soon there will come one day when everything will change because your children will realise that they are not a copy of you, yet they have to be free and have the right to choose for themselves.

On that day, you’ll understand that teaching and raising your children based on preventing them from people who think and act differently is not an effective way anymore as they will meet different people with totally different opinions, perspectives, and beliefs.

Consequently, this will impact and shape their OWN personality as they will think, CHOOSE and decide how they want to be. After that, no one will be responsible for what might happen to them (whether it’s good or bad) except themselves.

But what will you do on that day? Most probably you’ll start blaming other people about their influence and effect on the society especially on your children, considering them guilty or maybe wishing they were dead and not existed because they ruined your expectations about your children, and talk about them to other people who think like you because you always have to be around people who think like you and not discuss anything with people who think differently as they’re idiots and you’re the most intelligent people in the world.

At this point you have to ask yourself and answer that honestly “what’s other people’s sin? Is their sin is being different? Behaving differently? Thinking differently? Not following the rules that you put for your life? But wait a second. Are the rules that you have put for your life have to be like a law that every person on the earth have to follow?

Why your rules have to be important for others? Do you follow the rules that others put for themselves and their life? Why you don’t follow them? Because they are wrong and you are right? Who determines the wrong and right?

Your religion? Do you follow every single term in your religion? Do all people have to follow the same religion? Please be honest to yourself when you’re answering those questions and keep the extremist part of your personality away for a few minutes. 
In the end, I hope one day every person realizes that our differences are not something bad or something to feel guilty about. Therefore, instead of fighting with each for being different, we must accept our differences, listen to each other, and learn from each other. Moreover,  as long as you are not hurting yourself or others, you’ll experience the real freedom.

Always remember, “we were all created in God’s own image. And yet we were each created different and unique. No two people are alike. No two hearts beat to the same rhythm. If God wanted everyone to be the same, he would have definitely made it so! Therefore, disrespecting differences and imposing your thoughts on others amounts to disrespecting God’s holy plan” (Shams Tabrizi) 

Let’s help and support each other despite our differences and respect people’s choices/decisions for their own life. There’s enough space for each one of us on this planet.