Mentors

When reflecting upon mentors in my life, I realized that they all let me down at some point- not deliberately or intentionally, mainly just by being human! It always felt so devastating to start to realize the faults my mentors had and my way of integrating the information was to "awfulize" them and throw the baby out with the bath water. In the beginning of the relationship I usually think they are so great and perfect that I see no fault, and that can last a long time, but not forever. My first therapist, when I was the tender age of 22was one of my first mentors. She was much older- in her 60's. And she gave me great books to read and provided a nurturing and safe place to explore myself. But, she started to tell me what to do and that didn't go over to well with me- I wanted and needed to make my own decisions. I stopped seeing her soon after that. I didn't have another mentor for quite a few years, but when I got into the human services field, I had many mentors. I would be a sponge and learn so much from them, and think they knew everything, until some time passed, at least 6 months, but often a few years, when I would start to not agree with some of the things they did or see their wounds and how it effected how they saw the world, and I would usually be quite upset by this- angry and withdraw. Sometimes I would come to see them as humans with positive and negative qualities, but a few times I severed the relationships. Although I still don't have a lot of balance in this area, I can recognize the pattern much faster! I have not had a mentor in a few years and I so miss the experience.
It frightens and exhilerates me to think that I am stepping into the role being a mentor for others, but also knowing that I have and will let them down. It pains me to know that I too have let people down by my humanness.
Anybody else want to share their experiences with mentors or as a mentor?