Parents

Question #3) Describe your relationship with your parents.

Well, as old as Caleb is, that is how long my mother has since passed away. She got to hold him and love on him when he was only 2-4 weeks old, I got to see her and love on her while she was with us in that time.  I am blessed to have had that time with her. Then that was it, one minute things were fine then she went home and I can only wait to hug her in heaven.  I could write this blog for years and never finish talking about my relationship with my mother, the kind of woman she was and the changes I saw in her then and what I am still learning from her now as a parent myself looking back on my childhood.
She was an accommodating parent, she liked conflict about as much as me.  She aimed to please, probably some of the same fears as me. She was an overly generous soul in all she put her hand to, especially her children.  We, of course, do not have the wisdom to appreciate it when it is bestowed on us with such love and grace.  If I could say two words to her now, only 2 words, it would be 'thank you' with a grateful heart! Only later in life do we truly appreciate the sacrifices our parents made when we were children. I loved my mom very much and with certainty know that I will see her again. Love you!
As for my Dad, we have a special relationship. I know I hold a special place in his heart and I have come to see it as the distance that separates us is really why I am special to him.  Chris and Jenn have him anytime they want. If he wants to see his kids or their kids, he can.  He has access to them because they are physically closer than I am.  If I got to see him every week, he could surrender that specialness of me. Like the story of the prodigal son, when he returns to his father, the father throws a feast in honour of his lost son's return and the brother gets upset that his dad had never thrown a party for him and he never left. The father explains that the brother always had the father, always had access to all of his wealth and were he only to ask a party would have been thrown. But the returning son was lost, presumed dead to the family and now he had returned.  Obviously do not read more into this parable then what I intend in that I only see him maybe once a year, once every two years.  He doesn't 'love' me more than my siblings, as much as we say it is so, it is not. I am missing most of the time so it is always the 'party mode' when I am with him.  I enjoy my dad's company very much, probably more than my siblings because of the same reason I am special, he is special and every second I see him I want to make those rare beautiful seconds count.  I should learn to live my relationship with everyone this way, make every second count!