Back Where I Come From

(Blog Challenge: Your parents)

On October 31, 2009, I became a mom...a parent. I accepted the challenge to be responsible for another human being's life. To teach them, watch them grow, love them, guide them, discipline them...in short, I agreed to be her everything. I often look at Jani and think "Wow! She is part me! How cool!" Then reality hits me and I can't even believe that I was privileged enough to be given this gift.

When I became a mom, I looked at my own parents differently. I saw myself in my mother and my father. I understood how my mom must have felt when she welcomed three girls into the world. Through Doug's eyes, I was able to see how my dad must have (and still does) looked at us...his girls. It was a monumental moment. It made me feel like I would NEVER be able to thank my parents enough for all they have done for me...for who they have made me. In short, my parents rock. They are the best parents in the world. That sounds so cliche but I feel like they were truly everything parents were meant to be. Kind and gentle yet they had expectations and standards for us. Their parenting has taught me so much about the kind of parent I hope I can be. 

My mother is one of my very best friends. We were most definitely cut from the same cloth. Many of my friends talk about how they had a period of time where their relationship with their mother was strained. I never experienced this. We fought about things (like the fact that I needed to finish eating my supper) but I can't say I was ever so angry with her I wanted to run away, never speak to her, or rebel against everything she stood for. We are two peas in a pod and I appreciate and love her more every day. I can hardly make it a day without talking to her and if I have to go a week without having coffee with her I go into withdrawal.

My father, the silent leader, is someone I look up to and strive to be more like. Doug often tells me that my dad taught him that silence is okay. This is something I love about my father. He is a man of few words so the words he does say are worth listening to. He knows how to have a good time, he goes to church every Sunday, and he puts his family first. He visited my grandfather every day until the day he died. I always admired his loyalty and devotion.

My parents are my foundation. My foundation is strong. It is because of them that I am the person I am today.