Growing up is hard, let’s face it. Making new friends, figuring out who you want to be and the most awkward phase of your life is upon you: puberty. This period (no pun intended) of your life can truly be awful, especially if you’re as socially awkward as I was. Some of the people who have the greatest effect on you during this time are your parents. They are the ones helping you navigate through this confusing and frequently troublesome journey that we call life. But as much as we say we appreciate them, oftentimes they are the ones who get taken for granted the most.
A person’s upbringing can say a lot about them, especially if they’ve grown up in a broken home. Although I’m not talking about divorce breaking a family apart, I’m talking about the physical state of being broken. While I am lucky enough to have grown up in home where both of my parents live under the same roof, my father was unfortunately diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when I was extremely young. MS is a degenerative neurological disease that affects nearly every aspect of the person’s life. Depending on how severe the case it, a patient may lose his or her ability to perform simple daily tasks such as cutting their own food, changing the channel and even walking can become a hassle. As society constantly reinforces, a father is supposed to be this big, strong man who carries the weight of the whole family on his shoulders. Unfortunately, I never really experienced this stereotype. While some daughters bond with their dad by going to dinner and a sporting event, the time I spend with my father is limited to watching movies with him or making him dinner.
My dad is still here with me, and I thank God everyday for the time that I have left with him. However, I had to grow up fairly quickly because of this. I didn’t have the typical childhood where days consisted of playing with mommy and daddy on the playground, simply because my father physically couldn’t. Even now, I’ve had so much responsibility heaped upon me because of the fact that my dad can no longer perform these tasks on his own. Seeing him go through this is without a doubt one of the hardest things I have had to experience and I would never wish it on my worst enemy.
Despite the hardships that my family faces each and every day, I could not imagine my life being any other way. This disease hasn't broken my family apart, but instead it has brought us closer because we have realized that in the face of adversity, we need to support one another. Although life gets pretty frustrating in my household, it's beautiful to me how something so awful can bring people so close.
Now telling my story might guilt you into thinking, “Wow I really need to get my act together,” and part of me hopes that it does. It breaks my heart to see children taking advantage of their parents and the phrase "you never know what you have until it's gone" comes to mind as it is incredibly true in this situation.
The other part of me wants to make you realize how much your parents give to you. They care about you and love you more than you’ll ever know. They’re your biggest motivators and are always looking out for your best interest, whether you see it or not. They will never not love you solely because you are their child. If you want to tell them how much you hate them, instead, take a step back, breathe and remember how much they care. Don't turn down a warm hug from Mom when she's upset but doesn't say anything, or spend some time outside with Dad talking about last night's game. Tell them that no matter what happens, you love them, too.
