Parents are the biggest blessing in our lives. There’s no doubt about it. But so many of us forget about them, only to be reminded of all that they do and all that they have done, when they are no longer with us.
For those of us who have moved out of our parents’ home, who might live across the world from our parents, or those of us us whose parents are no longer in this world, this reality comes daily.
But for those of us who are lucky enough to share a roof with our parents, we often haven’t got a clue. We take the things they do for us for granted. We think they’ll be around forever. We think everyone’s parents do for them what ours do for us. We forget the completely unique relationship that we have to our parents, one that cannot be replaced with anyone else on this planet.
When you’re living with your parents, it can be hard to remember all of this. There are things our parents and our siblings do that annoy us, or bother us, or frustrate us. We forget the reason behind their nagging is often concern and love. We find their constant attention and question asking annoying and invasive. We forget that our parents have a lifetime of experience behind them with which they guide and chide us. It’s only when we are (often much) older do we realise how often our parents were right.
So don’t wait for a future where you live apart from your parents, whether it’s because you’ve moved out or if they’re gone, to appreciate them. Instead of being frustrated by the things that they do, think about the reasons behind them and thank them. Hug them before you leave in the morning and kiss them at night when you return home. Tell them to sit and rest, and that you will take care of things. Tell them the truth about where you’re going and when you’ll be back, so they don’t have to worry.
Because there might come a day when you wish this time back so you could just spend one more day with them. Because they truly are the greatest blessing of all