I will live this year as if it were my last, so that in my imagination my life ends in December 2026. Of course, in theory, it could end whenever I feel like it, none of us knows that in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year, I will live as if it were my last year\u2014meaning that in my imagination, my life ends in December 2026. Of course, theoretically, it could end whenever it is destined to; none of us know that in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AN EXAMPLE FROM MY PARENTING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, I\u2019ll share what happened last Sunday evening when my daughter asked if she could go get her nails done again on Monday afternoon. Lili is 15. She first got gel nails for her primary school prom. At the time, our agreement was that I would pay for them once, but if she wanted to continue, she would have to pay for it herself from her pocket money. After the prom, she paid for them a few times herself, and then, to my delight, she stopped. Why \"to my delight\"? I used to get my nails done like that for years, but now I am returning more and more to nature. I want to use products of local origin; I\u2019ve started using natural hair dyes; there is nothing \"artificial\" on my body anymore. I still enjoy wearing makeup, perfume, and nice clothes, because I use them to highlight the beauty nature gave me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But yes, it took me 45 years to get to this point. Every period of life brings something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then came this Sunday, when Lili decided to do her nails with gel again. She asked me if she could go on Monday to have her nails done. It was already 10pm by the time it was time to go to bed, I was tired, and she had only just started to dry her hair, which I really don't like to do, breaking home arrangements. I went silent, sighed, and remembered my experiment. I said to myself: \"So, Petra, if this is your last year, is this important for her upbringing? What will Lili learn from this?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had my answer, but now I had to swallow my pride and admit she was right. I told her: \"You\u2019re right, Lili. You do study a lot, you work hard\u2014I see it with my own eyes. You are taking responsibility. The problem this time is with me, because I was really happy that you stopped doing your nails. It\u2019s important to me that we start returning to nature. But I realize that I didn't think that way when I was a teenager; I looked for beauty elsewhere. So, go get your nails done tomorrow.\" IT\u2019S NOT OVER YET<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The story doesn't end there. Gregor and I went to bed, and 10 minutes later, I got up to go to the bathroom. I heard Lili recording a voice message instead of drying her hair. Without hesitation, I opened the bathroom door and asked her what was going on\u2014was that our agreement? She said no and put the phone down. In a very firm voice, I said: \"Put the phone in the hallway, don't touch it again. You have 10 minutes to finish up and go to sleep.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I lay back down in bed, I asked myself one last time that day: \"Petra, if this is your last year, was that necessary?\" A peaceful smile spread across my face. Yes, I definitely did the right thing. Because healthy boundaries are my legacy for my children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Already seemingly irritated, I first started to grumble and opposed her proposal. She asked me: \u201dMum, why can't I, I'll take the bus there, I'll pay for it myself, just like we agreed the first time I went\u201d.
I haven't given up yet, I mentioned the bad grade and how she doesn't have time for that. She responded to my remark by asking, \u201cbut now you're going to keep throwing bad grades at me, because you see how much I'm learning, how hard I'm trying\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/petraam.com\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/01\/NOHTI-768x1024.jpeg.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
I also told her that the time was really late, that she should leave her phone outside and dry off quickly and go to bed. We hugged and went our separate ways, both happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n