For the Love of a Parent

For the Love of a Parent

These two😍!! Each time I leave my parent’s home in Central Oregon I have a moment. Driving down to the main highway I want to turn around and hug them again. Every. Time. Because as I’ve gotten older (and wiser) I realize I am who I am because of them and life is too short not to love and forgive and say the things you feel. To uplift and want and believe the best. If it weren’t for the love of my parents, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Life isn’t always a cake walk. Sometimes we slip and other times we climb and all of that is learning. And while we’re learning, our parents often carry the worry, burden, and pride of the ups and downs.

Multiple times, at extremely difficult spots over the last thirteen years, my mother has encouraged me to ‘just go get a job’ that will appreciate my effort, use my skillset, and provide an ‘easy’ clock-in-and-clock-out paycheck without the endless hours of work and responsibility.

She didn’t mean any disrespect, and yet, I took it as a reminder. I cannot go backward. I won’t. It actually isn’t in me to subscribe to the ‘normal’ or ‘easy’ paycheck route. In fact, I argue it. Nuff said.

Through each of those moments dad was silent, standing firm without words or encouragement toward one way or another. He knew I would make the right choice and continue down the right path for me.

Last week these two celebrated 44 years of marriage. 44!!

I have watched them love hard and fight fair, but always respect and uphold each other. Like everyone else they aren’t perfect, but they have exemplified dedication and true devotion, not only to each other, but to their children, our family, to God, their life together, and to being who God made them to be – through and through.

Each day I see them in myself. Creativity, high standards, never-met-a-stranger personality, and business sense from dad. And organization and cleanliness, joy and tender heart, and responsibility strength from mom. And from them both a firm foundation of faith and knowing who I am, that I have a purpose, and He is at the center of all of this.

Thanks mama, and daddy! I love you and am grateful always!

4 Comments

  1. Lowell Smith on January 21, 2022 at 11:31 am

    We love you so much. Thanks for the love. We know that the person you are today, has been such a strength and help to so many and we are proud.
    You love well.
    Dad



  2. Barbara Kay Smith on January 21, 2022 at 11:40 am

    Oh my goodness, Jamie, you have blessed us beyond measure. Thank you for your kind words. We love you so, so much, and are very, very proud of you and the woman you’ve become!

    Kisses and Hugs,
    Mom/Mama



  3. Christine Green on January 23, 2022 at 7:41 pm

    Beautiful post.



  4. Barbara Kay Smith on March 3, 2023 at 10:00 am

    March 3, 2023 Thank you, sweet Jamie, for honoring your mom and dad again, but now we can say we’ve been married 45 years, so were having fun celebrating all-year-long. We’re so pleased to say that you and Kevin have your little miracle baby to raise now and what a blessing she is to us all. We can tell you that having you, and your brother Jeremy, as gifts from God, has been the ultimate ‘highlight’. We love you so, so, so much!



Jamie Teasdale

Jamie Teasdale founded Propel Businessworks, a small business development company, in 2009. Since then, she has been lending insight and creativity to businesses all over the U.S., giving them the tools they need to plan, promote, and prosper.

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