Lack of experience
can allude us to think
that there is such a thing
as managing “up.”
Just as we eventually learn
that our parents
need our support
just as we need theirs,
what we misunderstand as “up”
What we eventually learn
is that “up” is an illusion.
Once we realize
that parents manage us
primarily because of the conern
they feel
we can proactively manage them
by alleviating their concern