Gratitude - Day 2

As I think about the world tendencies to blame others for all our problems, it makes me reflect on the blessing of good wholesome parents in my life. Did they get an instruction manuel to help raise me, most likely not! Did they do their best to set an example of hard working, honest people, a most emphatic yes! I believe we learn the most from the examples in our lives. I am so grateful for parents who kept on trying despite the adversity in their lives. Both of my parents are children of the depression. My father is one of the last WWII veterans. My mother lost her mother when she was just starting her own family. As I reflect on the opportunities I have to help my girls with their families, my heart aches for my mother. She did not have a mother to call for a recipe or advice or just to talk to about the cute things her children were doing. Soon after she lost her mother, she lost her little sister to childbirth. Then, just when they should be enjoying grandparenting my parents lost their firstborn daughter to cancer. Did I ever witness their faith falter - no! Were they always there for me - yes! At a crucial time in my life, when I had five small children mind you, my parents allowed us to move into their basement until we could get ourselves on our feet. I still remember the time when I was pregnant with Nathan and a little bit over the top emotional - Randy was gone for the first extended time in our married life. A rather large bee got in my house, silly girl that I was, called my parents and my dad made the three mile drive to my house to kill the bee. They have always set an excellent example of service to me. Sometimes to the dismay of my mother, you could always find my father helping the widows, shoveling the walks in the neighborhood. Both of my parents were always the last at the ward parties, in the kitchen doing the dishes, cleaning the church or doing whatever needed to be done. Have I experienced clashes of personality with my parents - yes, quite often! But their example in my life has been engraven on my heart and they are certainly one of my greatest blessings! Even in their twilight years they continue to show me how they serve one another. My heart aches for them as they struggle with the adversity of old age, but as is their pattern they continue to march on, putting their shoulder to the wheel!
Thank goodness for the gift of parents!