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!