I truly am the perfect child. Somehow, I am never home for this critical week that is
stacked with family events. My
mother’s birthday, father’s day, and their anniversary all fall within the same
block of time. And I am always far
away, enjoying speech nationals, or Chicago, or the extreme socialization for
which I am renowned. Sometimes
life moves far too quickly, and I forget to be thankful for one of God’s
greatest gifts: my parents. As an
example of what a gem I am of a daughter, yesterday I wished my mom a happy
birthday. At three in the morning. So I guess at that point it really wasn’t
even her birthday anymore. Oops. Anyway, I am writing this blog post now as a
reflection of how awesome my parents are, and how truly glad I am to have both
of them in my lives. I now present
to you three reasons why I am an incredibly lucky daughter. (There are more,
but I will spare you.)
Reason 1: I never realized how rare my family dynamic was
until very recently.
An article on law firm McKinely Irvine’s website states that in America, one
divorce happens every 13 seconds.
Divorce is a very real and traumatic experience; I am beyond fortunate
to have a mother and a father who are still together. Their love provides a perfect example for me as I set sail
on my journey to adulthood.
McKinely Irvine also asserts that the children of happily married
couples are 14% less likely to get divorced. A smaller percentage than I anticipated, but nonetheless, I
feel that the goodness of their marriage has given me the tools to be
successful in all of my relationships.
Reason 2: I
thank God every day that I have not one, but two amazing parents. Too often I forget how blessed I am to
have parents that are actually present in my life. I have a mom that devotes so much of her time to me, be it
through a phone call or a shopping excursion, or watching a silly TV show
together. Moms are characterized
with the tasks of cleaning and cooking and whatnot, and my mom does all that,
but she also makes an effort to spend time bonding with me. She is not only a caregiver, but also
someone I can always confide in; someone I know has my best interests at
heart. How awesome is that? And as
if that was not enough, God gave me a loving father who works hard all day to
provide for my family, and then comes home every night to be with us. I can say with supreme confidence that
my mom, Sam, Christopher, and I have been given innumerable gifts and
opportunities due to my Dad’s strong work ethic and compassionate nature. Amidst his business, we still have many
a late night chat, one of my favorite things! To have two devoted parents is
something for which I am deeply grateful.
Reason 3: My
parents have an incredible ability to teach and forgive.
I am young, and I mess up. A lot. Yet somehow my parents
find it in them to address my wrongdoings without making me feel like the spawn
of Satan. Their everyday actions
are a constant example of how to be a better person, but they help me mature in
so many other ways, also. Since I
was little, they have instilled in me a love of God and an appreciation of
life. I firmly believe my Catholic
education has strengthened me as both a student and a human being. Every step of the way, they helped me
understand my faith and morality more deeply, taking time out of their days to
talk, console, and give advice.
Without their kind and thoughtful words of encouragement, I would be
greatly remiss. Even when I did act like a little sass-master and disregard
their rules, they still treated me with love and respect.
I recognize this blog post is rather dull for those of you
who are used to my words of a more random and bizarre nature. However, I felt
it was necessary to bestow upon them the often un-expressed gratitude I feel
every day. To my parents: thank
you so very much for all that you do! For everyone else: don’t forget where you
come from. Your parents are a part
of you, and they gave you the gift of life! So come up with your own reasons as
to why your parents rock! It is easy to pile up all the negative aspects of our
familial relationships, but there is much love and happiness alive in them as
well. Hold onto that.
Whimsically,
Katie
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