Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to do a Mother’s day post, as I was still trying to get used to my new schedule, but I hope to make up for some of that today. As it is I don’t have any unique and poignant insights to share on the timeless bond between parents and their children, at least nothing that we haven’t all heard before one way or another, but I can try to briefly reiterate the importance of family in our lives on this special day. At the very least I can touch on how important family has been to me.
I am lucky to have grown up with both a loving mother and father who would have gone to the ends of the earth to help me. In retrospect it seems like they often did spend their days teetering on the edge of the world just for me, but even as they went above and beyond they were also careful to make sure that I kept my blessings in the proper perspective. It was my parents who instilled a sense of constant wonder and appreciation for life’s ups and downs in me, which in turn became the foundation for my ideology.
As corny and contrived as the term ‘compassionate conservative’ sounds these days, it was truly my parent’s compassion that built my worldview. It was my mother’s zeal for learning and my father’s dedication that led me to not only seek out knowledge but to enjoy the pursuit. That encouragement to develop intellectually and spiritually has been their greatest gift to me. The desire to ‘be informed’ and indulge in the availability of knowledge has served me well; it has brought me to the person I am today, to the person I want to be tomorrow, and I try to impart the importance of education to all those that I meet- be they liberal, conservative, or a wishy-washy independent.
I’ll cut myself off before it all becomes too sugary but the point remains: I’m sure that your parents or loved ones taught you something in their own way, so take a few minutes today and let them know that you appreciate all their efforts!
