Mom and Dad

Parents aren’t the people you come from. They’re the people you want to be, when you grow up.

-Jodie Picoult

Anyone who knows me, knows the undeniable bond within the relationship between my parents and I. The way I view this channel of love that I receive from my parents is something that I know that I will never be able to comprehend until I have children of my own. As someones child, you know that you are the love of your parents life. (well I hope you are at least). When you are a tiny embryo in your mothers womb you are a stranger. However, regardless of who you are, who you will be or what you look like your parents know from the moment they hear your heart beat that you are their absolute truest love. That is beyond words. This love is something I cannot wait to experience one day when I have my own kids because right now, being a nineteen year old girl with no children, I do not think I can even try to wrap my head around this concept. With that, I can truly say that the love that has been implemented within me from my parents has been absolutely unconditional from the moment they knew I was going to be introduced into the world. The ways in which my parents have loved me, supported me, and guided me have shaped me into the woman I am today. Not a girl, but a woman. In todays society it is so apparent that so many people lack a moral compass, compassion or just the ability to be a truly good human being. With the ways that I was raised I can say with confidence that I admire my strong understanding of morality, the way that I treat people and the compassion that I have for human beings. In our world I see more and more every single day how many people are just not of good character and how rare it is to be able to find someone and see that they are a genuinely good hearted person. Aside from my insecurities, I know that the way I was raised has given me a kind and overall good heart. (my heart is one of the main things I do love about myself).

My mom has shown nothing but acts of utter selflessness throughout my whole life. Growing up and watching the ways in which she loves her family is admirable. She might think that her selfless soul goes unnoticed but it doesn't. I cannot remember the last time I have seen my mom do something solely for her own personal benefit. I am not kidding when I say EVERYTHING that woman does is with the mindset of thinking of others. Her heart is so pure and of the deepest genuine love. The bond that I have with her is not just a typical mother daughter bond. There is not one thing that she does not know about me and I seek her in every situation. I pray to God everyday that he keeps her on earth for as long as possible because I do not know how I could live my life without her. Through my eyes, my mother is the essence of a beautiful woman inside and out. She is so much more than my mother, she is my best friend, the fuel to my soul and the absolute light of my life. My father on the other hand is a man with a heart of gold. When it comes to his family he will stop at nothing to ensure that we have everything we need and so much more beyond that. He grew up with a rough childhood and he has stopped at nothing to make sure that the world is not as cruel to his family as it was to him. I know that my father would give his kidney or the shirt off of his back in the middle of a snow storm if he knew that any of us needed it. Aside from the harsher upbringing he has had, the way he has taken every obstacle he could in order to make his family safe, happy and healthy has shown me as a young woman what a real man is. My father is a real man. Although my dad and I bicker a lot, it does not mean that I do not see the value in the man he is or the value in the ways he loves me. I admire my fathers huge heart that was created out of the finest and most priceless gold. My parents are ultimately selfless people when it comes down to the love they instill in their family. Without growing up with this type of love and seeing the incredible people my mother and father are each and every day I do not know who I would be. My heart is something that I am proud of because I know that it is kind, gentle and genuinely good. I have my parents to thank for that. I love these two human beings more than life itself. They are my best friends.