See, I get along great with my parents. I just would hope, if Stephen had asked my father for his permission that my father would have said "Why the hell are you asking me?" I mean, I didn't ask Stephen's mom if I could marry him.
I am an adult and I make my own desicions. I didn't ask my parents what univerdsity I should go to, or what major I should choose. I didn't ask them whether I should go to Grad school or just get a job. These are desicions that are mine, and they effect my life and my happiness. I can't imagine asking my permission to make them for me or to give em my blessing before I decide. I made a choice and then I announced what I had decided, if they had concerns they were welcome to express them, but the choice is mine.
As much as I love and respect my partents I would not care if they had said I shouldn'y get married. We got a traditional wedding with a nice dress and a reception and all because my parents paid. If they had objected then we would have had a small wedding that we paid for. I would still have married Stephen.
Speaking of independence, I am watcing my sister's kids for 5 days because she is on a cruise, and I cannot believe how well behaved they are. They are 11 and 12 and I think they only need me here to drive them places and sign things for school. They made themselves a snack last night and went to bed on time without any kind of prompt from me. The 11 year old announced to me at 8:00pm that he was going to use the computer for half an hour, then he would read for 1 hour, then it would be 9:30 and so it would be bed time. Then he did just that. This morning they both woke up with their alarms made themselves breakfast, packed themselves lunch and waited for the bus. Man when I was that age it took yelling to get me out of bed in the morning.