There was only a celebration of love and support—no indication of the wedding ceremony.I used to have a lot of self-esteem issues as a child since I thought I was incredibly ugly. I couldn’t help but cry as I stared at my reflection in the mirror one day and wondered, “Why do I look so ugly?” My father heard me talking as he was passing by and remarked, “Oh, didn’t you know? I sent my handsome good looks to the wrong address before you were born.
Don’t worry, though—I saved the receipt! Confused, I looked at him and said, “The receipt?” Yes, he grinned and replied. “So when you get eighteen, we can trade it in for something even better, like a charming personality that makes no one notice what you consider to be “ugly.” I promise, this is a better offer. I was laughing so hard that tears came to my eyes. “Until then, you’re stuck with that face—and it’s a pretty good one, if you ask me,” my dad said with a wink.
My parents didn’t become unhappy or furious when I didn’t pass my first year of university. I was crying uncontrollably, embarrassed, and my mother came to sit next to me and held me until I stopped. She assured me that it wasn’t the end of my life and expressed her continued pride in me.
My parents are incredibly tolerant and open-minded individuals. I remember them telling my siblings and me when we were little, “We don’t care what or who you are,” and since I identify as bisexual, that statement has really remained with me.
Both of them stood by their words when I came out to them, and they have accepted me for who I am. During tea, my mom and I even talk about LGBT issues, and my dad never stops making puns.Despite their imperfections, my parents accomplished a lot of good things. The main thing that stands out to me is how supportive they are of my brother and myself, even when they don’t agree with or understand it.
Although they weren’t big skateboarders, they did spend hundreds of dollars supporting my brother’s pastime throughout the years. Along with helping me acquire a drum equipment, they also provided us with transportation to all of our performances and let the band rehearse in our basement. They were willing to accept me as a line cook even though they wanted me to become a lawyer.
In the end, it helped me realize that nothing in life is predetermined and that I had the freedom to make my own decisions, which is why it made a difference. My parents will support and encourage me no matter what I choose to accomplish.My father was a really fair man. Any disagreement would be resolved by having me sit down and consider other viewpoints.
He would give me credit for it and still work with me to find a way to sort things out with the other person if we could work through a problem and it looked like someone had treated me badly or done the wrong thing and I was “in the right.” Conversely, he had a style of talking to me that let me figure out if I was mistaken on my own.
This, I believe, not only contributed to the development of some character traits for which I am extremely thankful, but it also fostered mutual trust between parents and children. I felt at ease talking to my dad about anything. If I was in the wrong, I knew he would correct me, but if I was right, I also knew he would support me.
To feel valued as a teenager was powerful.We used to live next to a freeway when I was younger. One time, I asked my mom how long the freeway ran and what would happen if we just got on it and drove forever. A map was with her. Was it shown to me by her? Nope.
“Let’s see,” she remarked. After getting bored of driving for several hours, we got into the car and headed home by following the shore of one of the US Great Lakes, according to the map we had found. This occurred in the 1980s, before cellphones and GPS. When I was maybe ten, she let me find my way home.
She wanted me to know, even though she could have just told me or shown me on the map without getting up from the couch.Relations between parents and children can be difficult at times. Nonetheless, some people appear to have struck gold, with great parents who are constantly willing to provide a helping hand.
