A Thank You to Parents

This is Neil writing. Today, I heard a story at church and I felt that I should share with my friends and family.

An older man was talking with a young adult at church. As the conversation was coming to a close, the older man ask if there was anything the young adult wanted to talk about before the conversation ended. The young adult went quiet and began to tear up. In a sad and serious tone, he mustered, “My Dad never built me a tree house.” The older man was taken back, wondering if this was a joke of some sort. The young adult explained that when he was young, he asked his dad to build him a tree house. The dad said they could do it that weekend. On Saturday, the boy woke up early and excitedly ran to his dad’s room. This was going to be the day, but the dad said he had some things to do and wouldn’t be able to build the tree house until next week. When the next Saturday came around, the young boy heard the same story from his dad:  “We’ll do it next week”. Weeks turned into months, months turned into years, and the boy never got his tree house. Even as a young adult, he knew he missed out on doing something with his dad.

As I heard this story, I instantly thought, my dad built me a tree house. And that wasn’t all. He took me to work with him, taught me how to fish, took me to baseball games, he told me he was proud of me, and he even let me ride in the back if his truck to take our dog to get bred (that’s a funny story!). The most important part is that my dad showed me that I was important to him.

My mom is the same. She came to all my sports games and concerts. She was home when I came home from school. She helped me prepare for church meetings and do my school work. I owe much of the person I am today, because of what she has done for me in my life.

My wife feels the same about her parents. Amber worked so hard to make Preston’s first birthday special. I asked why she went through so much trouble to put on a birthday for Preston. She responded, “My parents always did this for me. They always made me feel special.” She tells me about how they would go on memorable family trips, and spend holidays together. They would encourage her to try new things and support her in the new activities. When Amber wanted to learn water polo, her dad took her to get a water polo ball and researched the rules to know all he could about what she was doing.

I have met so many parents just like this in my life. Parents that sacrifice and make their kids feel important. Many times, the sacrifices are not recognized, but they do make a difference. The world is a better place because of parents like mine and my wife’s. Thank you to all the parents that make their children feel important.