The holidays are fast approaching, so much so I can already see wreaths and red and green sprinkled all over my hometown. What’s interesting to me though, is that we emit green and red lights separately on our houses even though there are streetlights of those exact colors 24/7. I’m not saying you can have too many Christmas lights, please do not get me wrong. But rather, I find it funny how the holidays, much like fall or winter, are treated like a temporary season. Seasons have specific characteristics and traditions, and for Thanksgiving and Christmas, one of those seems to be reminiscing what we’re grateful for. My personal question is why not be grateful all year long just like the red and green lights are?
It seems like they take turns, and it’s true if you zoom in; on one intersection there will never be a green and red light at the same time or else it would cause a terrible crash. But if you think about it and zoom out, when a light is red for one intersection, it’s green for another. It’s when we don’t pay attention to these lights that accidents and collisions may arise, but truly thinking about what we’re grateful for is a protective factor in my book. I find that when I express gratitude more frequently, I’m more content. After all, if it hadn’t been for my childhood or family or the fortunate way I grew up, I would definitely not be writing a Her Campus article right now. That brings me to what I’m going to talk about today: my parents are the number one thing I am forever grateful for.
After I grew an interest in social work and gained some experience in the field, I saw parents who openly didn’t love their children or who neglected them. It was surprising to me. Sure, you hear about it and you’re aware of it, but until I saw it for myself, walked into their home, and felt the negative energy, I never really acknowledged it. I took for granted how I grew up as a kid because I didn’t yet know that not all kids got to live like I did. I assumed every child had two parents who loved them, supported them, provided them meals, helped them with their homework, bragged about them to the other soccer parents, etc.
My parents raised my siblings and I in a safe and caring community. We never worried about food. We were economically blessed and not everyone gets that. Social work has helped me see how rare my parents are. My parents are high school sweethearts. Of course, they fought but never anything violent or scary. My childhood consisted of Disney Princess movies and stuffed animals. It was warm and fluffy and something like the movies. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but I really had the basics and truly believe I owe my parents an infinite amount of thank yous for the way they raised us. They did a very good job doing a very tough job. They taught us kindness,how to laugh, and the important things.
I didn’t even notice all these things until I started the Adolescent Diversion Program and worked with children who had a difficult childhood. After working with my mentee, I regretted not telling my parents sooner how much I appreciate them.
Like I said, it wasn’t perfect growing up. Every kid argues with their parents from time to time and maybe doesn’t feel as connected with them as they’d like to. But seeing all my parents did for me, brought me closer to them. When I saw their effort, it made it so much harder to get upset with them.
The way I see it, I wouldn’t be the same without them. If they didn’t raise me the way they did, I wouldn’t have done well in school and I wouldn’t have found writing and I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have now like college to pursue my dream. I probably wouldn’t be writing books. In families that have to get by day-by-day in survival mode, the last thing they have time for is working on their kid’s reading or hobbies. My parents provided my life lessons and showed me hard work pays off and that passions are worth striving for, those things are why I’m where I am today. I did put in all the work to get here, but they gave me the foundations to begin my work in the first place.
I like to see it in a positive way. I was gifted the family I have so that I can give the love they passed down to me to those like my mentee who didn’t receive it. He knows I care about him, and I wouldn’t be capable of helping him if it weren’t for my parents. I really wouldn’t.
Friends and mentors and others can become family, and thanks to my parents, I can be what they were to me to other people.
If you’re reading this Mom and Dad, thank you! You gave me a car, taught me green means go and red means stop, and most importantly, you’re always in the passenger seat with me.