The longer I parent, the more gratitude I feel in my heart toward my parents. When I think of all the hours I spend pondering and worrying about my children, it makes me wonder what fears they wrestled with as parents. (Not about me, of course, since I was so perfect. Ahem.)
When I am upset with my children for not helping out more around the house, I wish I had spent more time helping to make our home clean and orderly as a youth.
When I am trying to discuss the concerns I have about a child's behavior with him/her, and they blow me off or seem like they're not listening, I wish that I had listened more to my parents when they counseled my siblings and I about the world instead of thinking that I knew what I was doing.
When I see my kids making bad choices (not necessarily evil, just hard-headed) I wish they would take me more seriously. It makes me wonder if my parents are happy with the directions that my life took.
Here's a biggie...when I see how imperfect I am as a parent, and how much I struggle to keep it all together, I find myself with a prayer in my heart asking my Father in Heaven to bless my mom and dad, who despite their imperfections and their humanity, truly put their best effort into raising honest, hard working children.
I am so thankful for my parents. I wish they lived closer so I could demonstrate in person each and every day that I'm glad to be their daughter!
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