Parenting

My mind has been thinking a lot about what kind of parent I will be one day.  I know that I will enjoy the experience but what kind will I be is something I wonder.

My brother and I grew up with an amazing set of parents.  I didn't realize until I was an adult how much they sacrificed for us.  As kids, we are blind to this.  We think that these two people are there to give us whatever we wanted but that is not their purpose.  My parents sent us to the best schools, took us on amazing journeys and spent as much time with us as they could.  My mom worked nights but she was still at every sporting event I participated in.  Dad was too, but most of the time he was there with his EMT kit too!  They supported my brother through his engineering awesomeness (I don't know what else to call it) and me when I said I wanted to go to Grad school.  Some of my best memories are in our old house on Lilac Lane.  When it snowed, dad would pull out the snow blower and my brother and I would be out there to help (well, not most of the time, but we were out there playing).  My brother and I used to draw roads with chalk on the driveway and ride our bikes up and down it all day.  We played kickball in the front yard and baseball in the backyard with the family (including my grandparents).  I loved carving pumpkins on the family room floor on newspapers.  Mine was not as precise as my brothers, but I am the artist in the family.  My brother and I never got everything we asked for and I am thankful for that.  I see too many children today being spoiled by being given everything.  I am scared of one day when they grow and they hit a hard dose of reality.  I know that I do not want to do that one day.  Some of my most precious memories are the times we had together, not the things.  Standing on a glacier in Glacier National Park in the middle of summer watching our tour guide test to make sure we wouldn't fall through.  Driving a Wrangler on the wrong side of the road in St. Thomas, even though I became extremely sunburned on that trip.  Holding flowers at the top of the Space Needle or the first time I was at the top of the Empire State Building.  One of my favorite trips was to the Grand Canyon. It is still my favorite place today.  When I lived in Arizona in 2006, my brother came to visit me.  We took a photograph at the Hopi Point sign.  When I was home next, I found a photo at the exact same spot when we were kids.  It made me smile. 

These two people created us out of love that they have for each other.  They love each other so much they decided to bring another life into this world and share that love.  To me, this is some of the most amazing love I could ever think of.  Growing up under my parents wings, they taught me so many things.  They taught me to truly be who I am, be tough, be strong, be kind, be in awe, love your life, love what you do and don't let anyone tell you that you aren't good enough. 

My parents are still these amazing creatures.  I have been through lots of ups and downs in the past decade of my life.  They have stood by me through it all.  They have reminded me to be that strong person that they raised with all those values and all the hard work they taught us to do.  I am proud of the values that they have passed on to both of us. 

I know right now I don't know the type of parent I will be.  My mom told me once that she hopes that I have a daughter one day just like me.  She meant it for the good and the bad.  My mom and I have grown very close over the years and I pray that one day I will have the relationship with my daughter.  This is why one day, I hope to be like my mother to my children, either a son or daughter or both.  We had our differences growing up but she is part of who I am. 

One day I hope, God willing, I will be able to pass on all these amazing traits and values to my children.  I hope I raise God fearing children who don't want things but crave memories.  I pray for children who respect their parents and those in their lives.  I want to be a kind and generous mother but also a shoulder they can cry on no matter what, even if they go to a party and get drunk at sixteen.  I look forward to the young years as they learn about the world around them and as they get older and learn all the amazing things that are out there for them to experience. 

I may not know what kind of parent I will be one day, but I have two amazing examples to model after.  No parent is perfect but mine were (and still are) pretty awesome.  I pray one day I can be like them and raise two (or more) awesome kids like they raised. :) 

It all starts with just a little bit of love.