As a kid, I was told I was stubborn. Mostly this declaration came from my parents and coaches or teachers but occasionally by others as well. My parents’ friends, people in church, folks at the grocery store, babysitters, in clothing stores, at the gas station and the convenience store… well, you get the picture. I was told this A LOT.
This was NEVER a compliment.
Now I’ve got one of those myself—a stubborn son. He’s almost 17. He’s supposed to be stubborn, or that’s what I tell myself when I want to tear out my hair.
But the older I got, the more the terminology shifted from “stubborn” to “determined” or “persistent.” (My husband will still call me stubborn.. and of course my parents. And they aren’t totally wrong… ;)
At what point does stubbornness shift balance to determination?
Is it like the thing where, as a kid on your birthday, you always hoped people would guess you were OLDER than you were… and if they do that to me now, I’m like, “OH, NO YOU DID NOT!!”