When you’re growing up there are always people telling you that life is hard, whether its your parents, your sixth grade English teacher, or your best friend. You respond with a casual roll of the eyes and thoughtless response like “Ugh, I know!” You swear to yourself that you will be prepared and have your life together. It’s so easy, right? And it isn’t until you find yourself twelve years later looking back and laughing at yourself for how naïve you were.
This is fine; because you really won’t know how hard life can be until you are smack dab in the middle of it. But what I have found out is that when you feel both lost and frightened, like a chicken crossing the road, your parents will always be there to meet you at the other side.
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My parents have been my knights in shining armor, always there to save the day. They have given me unconditional love for the last twenty-four years, which I always new, but it wasn’t until now that my mature self was finally able to understand and appreciate what it must like to be a parent. You will never be able to fully know what it’s like until you are one, but what I have learned from mine is that it takes dedication, strength, and courage to be a parent. There is a bond there that will never be broken. When you are happy, they are happy. When you hurt, they hurt. When you laugh, they laugh.
The past two years after leaving the safe community of college, life has been an endless maze of nerve-wracking paths and dead ends. You never realize how many decisions have to be made through the course of a lifetime. When you’re growing up your devoted parental units make all your decisions for you, that’s when life is really easy. But when you grow up the responsibility is put on you. I like to think I am capable of deciding my future path, but it is always reassuring to have my parents a phone call away to give me a hint or two about heading in the right direction.
It’s been a rough month and I’m sure my parents can agree to that. They probably weren’t to pumped when I called them late at night after my car died half way up to Maine, with the desperateness crackling in my voice. Or when I called them two minutes before I signed my life away at the car dealership. Or when I called them in tears a week later because my new car wouldn’t start and kept leaving me stranded. Or when I called again from the car dealership signing my life away…again…for a whole new car. During this tiresome debacle and with little understanding of what is going on on my side of the situation, they always stayed calm and collective, the opposite of my terrified self.
I guess what I am trying to say through this bubble of babble is that, my parents are awesome and there are never enough words in the English language to show them how appreciative I am of them. Growing up can be terrifying and daunting, but it’s inevitable. We may not have our parents packing our lunches or tying our shoes, or reminding us to eat our vegetables (even though I still need that reminder time to time), because we should be able to do that by now, but they are still our parents, and they will be there till the end. They do forgive you (I think) for the numerous slammed doors and yelling matches you caused during your stubborn teenage phase. Or the times when you puked on them as a baby. They forgive us, just like we forgive them for being the nagging parents. As you grow older you realize the nagging is just in their nature. Every nag is just another brick in the wall they are building to protect you because parents are your army. Their endless love for you is your super power; you can choose to tackle the dilemma head on by yourself, or you know that your knights are standing ground just a phone call away to help give you just a little push in the right direction.
Whether you grew up with parents like mine or not, there is no question that everyone doesn’t have this support system, whether it be through parents or friends or teachers. There is always someone out there that loves you and cares about you and is dedicated to you, just like a parent would be. So take a minute to thank that person; thank your parents, thank you friends, because they deserve it. I can only image that raising a child is like being on a roller coaster; there are moments when you’re having the time of your life but it can instantly change to you screaming at the top of your lungs in fear.
My words will never be enough to thank my parents for everything they have done for me, but folks just remember to keep spreading the love. Use that love your parents, friends, and family give you and share it, spread it, scream it, love it! We need all the love we can get to be prepared for our new future in both our lives and in this country. Let’s kill them with kindness and make these people proud. Thank you mom and dad for being who you are and bringing me into this world. You are the reason I’m not suffocating from this hectic and crazy adulating thing I’m suppose to be doing. You truly save the day time and time again and I am forever grateful. Peace and love to you both and to all.
Spread the love my friends.
Cheers, Amanda
Amanda wore the Embroidered Garden Organic Cotton Tunic Top
