When it comes to who you should appreciate in your life, your parents should be a top priority on that list. I understand these are two people who chose to bring you into the world, however, if you're like me you've brought along a lot of complications and drama along the road.
I haven't always been the perfect daughter and I truly do not believe any of you have been perfect either. There are different levels of causing trouble and disrupting the flow your parents thought you'd follow, but regardless your parents have probably done a lot for you that you should take the time to appreciate.
For several of you, your parents have not only been your mother and father, they've also been your therapist, chauffeur, bank, personal cook, and the reason for a solid portion of your life that you had a roof over your head. I don't mean any of these as negatives, it just shows how many aspects of your life have been aided thanks to dear ol' mom and dad.
If you've moved onto the next step in life and now live independently from your folks and haven't spoken to them in a good long while, call them. Tell them how much you appreciate every single thing they've done because if you're anything like me your life would be substantially different if they weren't around.
From a personal standpoint, my parents helped me in more ways than I could ever thank. They gave me support when I most needed it and showed me that you're never truly alone as long as you have your family. They sheltered me when I was in between colleges, lent me money when I was in between jobs, and just overall was always there to extend a helping hand in any way they could.
They showed me what unconditional love means because you shouldn't just be thankful for the physical superficial but also the emotional aid they never seemed to run low on. There is the saying that your parents know best and to some degree, I couldn't agree more with this. I cannot express how much I challenged and fought back with mine when I was younger. It was the typical teenage angst that my parents are trying to ruin my life. Little did my naive young mind know, that as I grew and matured that I would soon come to realize my parents were not out to get me. They weren't trying to suck the fun out of my livelihood. They were simply looking after me.
It didn't occur to me back then that my parents had gone through a lot of what I thought as "world-ending problems." It didn't occur to me that they knew from prior experience that the emotional wounds would heal in time and through their support and love, the world would remain in one chaotic piece.
I'm not saying every parent is perfect just like no son/daughter is. We all make mistakes and we all sooner or later learn from them. So if you haven't, I ask you to pick up the phone or go into the next room and tell your mother and/or father how much you love them.
Oh. Mom and dad if you read this, I love you. Expect a call.
