The Thankful Project: November 13th

The Thankful Project: November 13th: My Parents

Today I want to love a little on the people who raised me, put up with me, and have supported me in every venture I’ve sought- my parents.

I count my blessings to have two parents who always love and support me. They have always been there for my riding competitions, piano recitals, dance performances, school field trips, and of course moving me from city to city because I just can’t make up my mind on where to live or what to do in life! I realize everyone doesn’t have two parents who are still together, let alone involved in their life, so I find myself blessed that I have parents who love one another, sacrifice daily for their children, and manage to bring joy and love into our family.

Mom: When my mom was pregnant, my parents decided to wait to find out the gender of the baby. My mom thought she was having a boy, so she was shocked (and thrilled) that I was a girl! Her exact words were “I can’t believe I got my girl!”. My mom and I have always been close and because I am the only girl, and the oldest, she’s become my best friend. For most of my life I was fortunate enough to have her as a stay-at-home mom so she was always involved in my life: classroom parties, field trips, dance practice, piano recitals, horseback riding and all the other random activities I wanted to try as a kid. My mom’s always been my #1 cheerleader and has believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. She’s scarified having her own career and pursuing her dreams to raise four kids. She’s also been the one to hold down the household while my dad is away. Mom’s always been there for us, supported us emotionally and spiritually…as well as taken care of us while we’ve been sick (there’s something about being sick that just makes you want your mom).

Dad: Being the only daughter I of course fall into the “daddy’s little girl” category. My dad has paid a sacrifice nearly every day since I was about nine-years-old. His job takes him on the road every week, he flies to his office on Sunday night and returns Thursday night. He’s had that schedule for a huge chunk of my life, basically only being home on the weekends. However sometimes he goes overseas and then it’s weeks at a time where he’s gone. (So as wrong as it probably may be, I have a hard time feeling sorry for friends who act like the world is ending when they have to leave their husband for 1-2 nights for a trip or girls weekend. It’s also why distance doesn’t scare me, I’ve seen it work with my own eyes)
 Although he hasn’t always physically been at home, he’s always been involved and connected in our lives. When I was younger, I’d fax him math homework and he’d help me work through those horrid mathematical equations. When I started to drive he was always a phone call away for a car issue and 9 times out of 10 he’d either walk me through the problem or have AAA on speed dial if need be. Thanks to modern technologies like Skype, text, FaceTime and Facebook, that didn’t exist 20 years ago, my dad gets to be more connected and involved in our lives.

It’s a rare thing, especially now, for people to stay together forever. I look at my grandparents and I look at my parents and am so thankful that they all have been examples of committed, God-centered marriages. I’m thankful that my parents have decided to bring the family up in a Christian home and instill in us values and characteristics that are Biblically-based. I’m thankful for their love and support for one another, but I’m also thankful that they’ve been real. They’ve shown me that marriage isn’t perfect and it won’t fix your problems; they’ve had their moments and their struggles (like when dad is driving and mom is giving directions) but they have always shown me the importance of compromise, saying sorry, unconditional love and faith.

I love you mom & dad!