With Father's Day coming up, I thought it would be a good idea to focus on not just my father but my mother as well. I struggled on Mother's Day and I'm struggling now with Father's Day on what to get gift-wise. I could list a million practical gifts that I know my father would love, but they all hardly seem adequate. He (and my mom) have raised me through two decades of life now, and physical gifts just don't seem like they're enough. What do you give the people who are the reason for your presence in the world and the main forces that shaped you into the person you are today?
For starters, I give them a huge thank you. I know that sounds generic, but I mean it from the very bottom of my heart. They have given their all for my brother and I, and I couldn't be more grateful. Time and time again they have shown their selflessness and put us first. I also send out a huge thank you for the way that they raised us. They have filled our lives with so much knowledge and culture and so many values. I'm reminded of it daily when I look at the world and see people who haven't been as blessed as I have been.
I also give them my hope - my hope that some day I make them proud and live up to the expectations that they have of me. We may disagree on a lot of things and they may not understand some of my choices, but I know that they only want what is best for me. They have done their best to prepare me for life and all of its curve balls, and I see those same lessons playing out in my older brother's life. I only hope that I too retain all of their knowledge (and then some) and make them proud.
Lastly, I give them all of my love. I'm not the best at expressing my emotions out loud, so I know I don't tell them nearly enough how much they mean to me. I wouldn't trade them for anyone in the world. They raised me in a house full of love, and that is evident in every decision they make and every second spent in their presence. I hope they know how grateful I am for that and that that love is reciprocated completely.