A thank you to my parents

Yesterday was my mom's birthday and I totally forgot what day it was until 6 pm and my dad called to remind me. My mom works nights and had been sleeping all day so thank goodness she had no clue that I had forgotten. I was able to take cake and flowers to her at work and we had a little party there-grand kids and all! My mom wasn't always a perfect mom (no one is, espeically me) but she was dang good one. She loved me so much as I was growing up! Almost 7 years ago, she wanted to divorce my dad and so it happened. The divorce has changed her, she really struggled with depression for years and I felt unloved and used most days. She has healed a lot over the last year or two and every day I seem to get a little more of her back.

I was thinking today about how glad I am that she stuck through being married until I had grown up and moved out. I have cried on my husbands shoulders so much about it over the years. I know at times he just wanted to roll his eyes at me for getting so worked up about it over and over but he has been really patient and helped me heal from the pain of losing my relationship with her.

Now that the background has been established, here is why I am thankful to my parents today. Growing up my parents always told me how great I was and that I was so smart that I could be or do anything. And being the little blank slate that I was, I wrote it all down and took it as fact. They gave me a foundation of self-confidence that has really made me who I am today. I have always been one to stand up for what I think is right and to reach for any dream I whip up. If my parents had gotten divorced when I was a child, I would have been so busy coping and worrying about it that I may have written over that important message. Thanks mom and dad for giving me the security I needed as a kid to be able to succeed!

And a big thank you to them for giving me the best childhood they could give me. It really was great.