Appreciating my parents' footsteps
- Michelle Wood: SWCD
- November 12, 2009
- 662
Dad was 6 feet 2 inches tall. I, on the other hand, was the male runt of the family.
Although I was slightly taller than our stately mother, I looked up to her as well. She was the consummate model of motherhood. Dad was the hard-working breadwinner, Mom the gracious and constant domestic.
I’m pretty sure my four siblings feel the same way about our parents. Mom and Dad weren’t perfect. They just had perfect children. Well, at least one.
In my eyes, Mom and Dad were it. I lived for them, and did everything I could to please them. Too bad my siblings didn’t have my attitude. Life for Mom and Dad would have been so much easier.
In all seriousness, the five of us children really do have incredible parents. Too many times in life we let opportunities of affirmation slip away without saying anything. It’s time to make our adorations known.
At 89 and 88 respectively, Dad and Mom have lived full and productive lives. In so doing, they have taught their children and grandchildren how to live as well.
It wasn’t always easy for Mom and Dad. Life was tough at times, but the important thing is that they endured. That was only one of the lessons we learned from them, to be flexible, to look for alternatives when presented with difficult issues.
I am not holding up my folks as the ideal parents. They made their mistakes. We all do. But they taught each of us to be grateful for what we had, and to share generously with others, whether it was a good laugh or a good meal.
As I look back on how I was raised, justice was at the top of the list on how to live a decent life. Compassion was a close second, with respect right behind.
How we each got to those ends was up to us. Our folks had no secret formula for achieving those lofty precepts. We just knew we were expected to reach for them.
Mom and Dad weren’t rich monetarily. But they owned a fortune in wisdom.
As a family, we were always on the go. We traveled all over Ohio visiting art and history museums, state parks, friends and relatives, and attending community events.
A favorite trip was a daylong drive to the hills and dales of Amish country, especially in the fall when the leaves were changing. How ironic it is now that not only do I live there, so do they.
Their friendly assisted living apartment is a shrine to their long lives. The walls are plastered with Mom’s lovely watercolor paintings. Dad has his arrowheads and memorabilia from where he worked for 43 years on exhibit.
But it is their pride and joy that is most prominently displayed. An array of family photographs surrounds them, comforting them with both reminders of the past and hope for the future.
There are so many things I want to learn from my parents yet. But when I visit them, I am contented to simply while away the time just being there with them.
As we approach this Thanksgiving season, I wanted my folks to know just how thankful I am for all that they have done. I don’t have to take a vote to know that the rest of the family feels the same way.
Well done, Mom and Dad, well done. Your admirable footsteps serve as hallmarks for all of us to follow. For that, we thank you so very much.
Contact Bruce Stambaugh at brucestambaugh@gmail.com.