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Did you ever call your parents this? It was the name all the cool kids used when I was back in college, but it sounds vaguely disrespectful to me now. It sounds flippant and, even worse, semi permanent. My parents have both celebrated their birthdays in the last few weeks and I can’t tell you how lucky I feel. I’ve had some friends who have lost one or both of their parents this year. I can’t imagine how deep that loss would be. My mom actually lost HER mom just a few months ago, and even though their relationship wasn’t the same at the end (my grandmother had a stroke a few years ago that affected her personality and ability to communicate) it was still her Mom.
My parents have given me so much (and I’m not talking about anything of monetary value):
-A great sounding board. It’s nice to have someobody to bounce ideas off. Even though my parents are great at not necessarily offering their opinion unsolicited (especially about child-rearing!) , they will give their opinion when asked. I may not like it, but I know that it is always said with love and it always gives me food for thought.
-They are motivators. I know my Dad loves me unconditionally, he just isn’t as vocal about it as my mom. I’ve always known where I stood with my French Canadian mother. She says what she feels (see above for the caveat) and I know where I stand. My Dad was not nearly as vocal and, for some reason, that has always motivated me. A lot of the things I do with my business, and finances are motivated by WWDD. (What Would Dad Do) My mom was always the soft place to land, and my dad was the one I always tried to impress. I wonder how my kids view Mr. Fun and I. I hope someday they will tell us.
-Traditions passed down. I can’t tell you how lucky I was to have a Beaver Clever childhood. I didn’t realize, until I was a Mom, how idyllic it was. My mom was the best at establishing holiday traditions. We always got pajamas on Christmas Eve, there was a jelly bean trail on Easter, birthday cakes with lottery tickets, special treats for back to school, I could go on… They were also good examples for us and volunteering. They helped with scouts, PTA, coaching, etc. That is a value I definitely plan to continue and hand down.
There is such comfort in knowing that they are there. My Dad has had some health scares in the last few years and in particular a lot of little things in the last month that we were hoping wouldn’t lead to a big thing. Clearly this has made me take stock of how fortunate I have been. I have thanked them in the past, but that was many years ago and they keep giving so it was high time to thank them again.
Thank you Mom and Dad I appreciate all that you do for me. I now realize that life IS semi permanent and that should never be taken for granted.