AN OPEN APOLOGY TO MY PARENTS
I originally posted this over on my personal blog (I try to keep them separate). But then I got a bunch of comments about how it was a neat piece of writing... which wasn't what I was going for... but hey... so I figured I'd go ahead and post it over here. Enjoy. I would just like to take a moment to apologize to my parents:
- For every time I burst into tears for no discernible reason
- For every time I took one glance at dinner and declared, "I don't like this!" without even trying it
- For any time I might have taken food I didn't like off my plate and set it on the table so it would no longer be contaminating the food I did like
- For every time I pointed at some innocuous portion of my food and declared the entire thing inedible because that microscopic bit was something "I don't like." (for example: the little bits of nectarine that are closest to the pit that are a little crunchier than the rest of the fruit)
- For every time you told me to do something and I tried to argue that my variation was better
- For every time you asked me to clean my room and I wandered into its center, stood there looking around vaguely, read half a book, put a sock in the hamper, and then came out and asked if it was "good enough?" fully expecting you to say, "yes."
- For every time I left small objects (crayons, legos, stuffed animals) strewn about in my wake and then went to get something else out before I cleaned up the mess I had just created
- For any tantrum I might have thrown at the age of 2 when you were in a hurry and I insisted on buckling myself into my carseat without your help... even though I wasn't yet capable of carrying out that task
- For anytime I disobeyed and then made up halfway decent excuses for why I NEEDED to disobey
- For any time I yelled at my brothers or sister
- For any time I absolutely HAD TO HAVE the item my sibling was playing with, though I hadn't cared about it until they picked it up
- For any time I took a bite of something you'd worked hard to cook and declared it "disgusting"
- For every time I was ungrateful for all the fun things we did or the awesome games you played with us endlessly or all the books you read or activities you let us participate in or orchestrated for us to experience or any number of other opportunities I had to say "thank you" that I didn't take.
Because it's just been one of those days. And because I hope I can continue to handle all of these things that I'm sure I once did, that my children now do, with the grace, patience, and love that you demonstrated to us kids throughout our entire lives.
I understand now... and I understand that I couldn't possibly have understood until I became a parent myself... what you went through.
So... to my awesome, wonderful, spectacular parents. THANK YOU. Thank you for your love, your patience, and for demonstrating to me what good parenting looks like.
I love you.