Column 2 – Part 2

My upbringing

I was raised in Christian family. A family where my parents love each other, and are committed to God and the promise they made to him and each other almost twenty five years ago.They never scream at each other, in fact, the still have fleeting moments of cute lovey talk.

Never once do I think about another college friend of mine whose father was an unfaithful priest. This friend was always putting on a happy front, but was very closed off and vehemently avoided conflict. The affair happened when he was 8 or 9, but he still got bitter tears in his eyes as he related the story to me. His parent’s conflict tore him apart.

My parents building blocks

My parents put the children first in their lives. My father is an extremely hard working man, who takes care of all of us with his love and his career.

My mother is always nagging us to pick up this, or pay that bill, or have you made reservations for your honeymoon yet. She does this because she is always thinking about us, not because she enjoys it.

They dedicated their lives to teaching my sister and I responsibility, to live a Godly life, all the while giving us the best opportunities to do so.

They have literally given me a lifetime of opportunities. So many that I can be choosy. I don’t have to worry about my one lucky break passing me by. They will be there to support me no matter what until another one comes along.

My complaining falls on deaf ears

I am a hypocrite. When I bitch and moan about something bad in my life, it is all relative. Because of my parents, I have never even known what “bad” is, or really how bad things can be.

The only reason I was even able to pay for some of my college was because I was living at home and I didn’t have to spend it on surviving. My money was never spent on surviving because my parents spent time with us to help us make good decisions. This might seem weird, but it is true when I say they gave me the opportunity to spend it on my schooling. Now they give me time so I all I have to worry about is making money for my wedding and for my future wife. On top of that, they are giving me money for the wedding.

What is my reaction?

Thanking them by conventional means doesn’t even make sense to me.

So do I thank them everyday?

No. I haven’t even thanked them in a couple months.

I feel that eventually the thank you’s will lose their impact. A lifetime of opportunity does not equal daily thanks. So I made up my mind a long time ago that I wouldn’t.

Instead I have chosen to grab a hold of every opportunity that is given to me with two strong hands and shake it for all its worth.

Everyday I go to work and become more successful. Everyday I come home and improve artistically. And everyday I become more of a man as I move

forward with my fiancée and our life together.

I have all of these things because of them. I am a living tribute to them and everything that I am is because of them. I figure their pride in me and what they have helped me become might be more appropriate.

Some still might say that a daily thank you still goes a long way.

So this is my thank you for today, and it only counts for one.

Thank you, mom and dad.

~final

Here are some similar arcade posts

• Column 12 – Part 2
• Column 1 – Part 2
• Column 2 – Part 1
• Column 1 – Part 1
• Column 8 – Part 2

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