When I was a young teenager, I swore I would never become like my parents. It wasn't that they were "bad" or anything, I just thought we were so different.
Boy, was I wrong. Now, at 21, it is so very apparent that I am a mix of both my mother and father. With each day that passes by, it becomes even more obvious.
My father -- I don't even know where to begin. What an amazing man he is. I am so like him that it is scary. I have his bright green eyes and his curly hair. I see his personality in me each and every day. I gained his desire to always have a plan; to hope for the best, but to have a plan in case the worst happens. When I grab a cup of coffee in the morning, I flash back to us sitting at his favorite table at McDonald's. Each time I make friends with a random dog, I think about his love for pets; He wouldn't hurt a fly. I see him in the little things.
I recognize his firmness in myself. He expects a lot, just as I do. I learned from him that if you do a task correctly the first time, you won't have to do it again. He is meticulous in everything he does, just as I am. He loves in his own special way. Our feelings run deep, even though words are hard for us to find more often than not. When one of us loves you, we love you for life. He doesn't do anything halfheartedly. He is such a good man. Scratch that -- he is phenomenal. I couldn't have asked for a better dad. I am becoming more like him with each day that passes.
My mother -- What a sweet soul she is. I used to think that she and I had nothing in common. Once again, I was wrong. My mother is steel wrapped in sweetness. She is a fighter. She loves with a ferocity that only a woman of God can. I see hints of her personality in myself. Each day, each wee and each month, the similarities become more obvious. I have her nose, her lips and her bone structure.
I may have my father's firmness, but I have my mother's sweetness when I approach a difficult situation. Though I have a sharp tongue, my momma's peaceful words are with me no matter where I go. She has taught me that honey catches more flies than vinegar. I see her in myself often.
When I wash a load of laundry, I see her in our little house folding clothes for the family. I can hear her sweet voice singing when I listen to the gospel songs we love so much; I share her love of old hymns. I see her teaching me to read music from the hymnal in the little church in the woods, each time I open sheet music. My mother's peaceful demeanor is never far from my mind. She is beautiful, she is love and she is kind --what an amazing example she is.
I am becoming my parents. They are never far from me, for I inhereted a large part of each of them. They have my heart, and I have theirs. What a beautiful life they have provided me with, and what a mighty God to give me such amazing parents.