Day Three: My How I Love Thee Parents..

Well I hope ya'll aren't getting tired of my Thirty Things Challenge this month just yet! When I first set out to write today's post, I had originally skipped over this prompt because quite honestly I guess in some ways the truth hurts. Well.. here goes today's post about my parents.

#4 Describe your relationship with your parents

The relationship with my parents as a child was always filled with fun memories. Piggy back rides on my Daddy's back,or having him lift me in the air over and over, just to hear me say "Againnn" in my soft southern drawl. Baking cookies with my Mom, and trips to the neighborhood pool, or her taking me various places like dance recitals and brownie meets. She was always there for me. Growing up, I never sensed any unhappiness or sadness between my parents. I can look back with fond memories of my childhood, with two loving parents and an older brother that I was always picking around with.

I guess that's why it came as a shock to me the Christmas Eve before I turned 16 and later found that my Dad was leaving. He was unhappy and he wanted out, I guess. To this day, I always have been, and I always will be very close to my Mom. But I have a lot of hurt feelings still towards my Dad. He not only left my Mom, but he ended up leaving my brother and I too. As I've gotten older, I can somewhat understand maybe he wasn't happy, or my Mom nagged, but as a parent myself, I will never understand why he left my brother and I too.

 {Christmas 1990 with my Mom and I}

 {My Mom, her Mom (Grannie), and Me}

 {photo of my sister in law, Me, and my Mom last August during Hurricane Irene and my false labor}

 

{My Mom and I just this past July}

I guess that's why it came as a shock to me the Christmas Eve before I turned 16 and later found that my Dad was leaving. He was unhappy and he wanted out, I guess. To this day, I always have been, and I always will be very close to my Mom. But I have a lot of hurt feelings still towards my Dad. He not only left my Mom, but he ended up leaving my brother and I too. As I've gotten older, I can somewhat understand maybe he wasn't happy, or my Mom nagged, but as a parent myself, I will never understand why he left my brother and I too.

So to answer this question honestly, my relationship with my Mom is wonderful. She is an inspiration to me as a Mom. I love to take pictures at every occasion and then some because of her, I love to bake, and look forward to family traditions with my own family, thanks to her. She is so sweet, with never an unkind word to say about anyone (well, except maybe my Dad), and she is a people pleaser and loves her grandkids as her own. Sure we had our battles on occasion when I lived at home and didn't want a curfew, but now I see that she was only trying to protect me. I will always be grateful to my Mom for being so good to us, and loving us no matter what.

{photo of my Daddy and I as a baby}

{photo of my Daddy and I in Dec of 1990}

{photo of my Daddy, Ryder, and I at the Marshall Family Reunion Sept 2010}

As for my Dad, we usually talk on the phone now every month or so. I don't talk to him nearly as often as I should, and truthfully, he hasn't met Brynley yet. Not because I haven't invited him to do so, he just has a habit of making empty promises, and it seems that he can never make it out to North Carolina. In fact, this is part of the reason, well the only reason I didn't have him walk me down the aisle. Huge decision I now regret, but I was a ball of nerves that day anyways and didn't need anything else to add to "MY Day". I'm sorry this post is all about the big "D" and how it affected me, but I promise that I am a happy married Mom now, and I hope to learn from the mistakes of my parents and to try to talk about any issues Scot and I may have before we get resentful. Ok back to my Dad and I promise tomorrow will be more lighthearted :)

He now lives in Texas. He was once a golf course superintendent, and we grew up living a good life, on the golf course usually. Big neighborhood pools, and I even had my own golf cart at one point. He now lives in Texas with his new wife and I don't really know who he is now. He completely switched careers and is now a truck driver. When we talk, we laugh about childhood days, or he tells funny stories. He's a funny guy with a warm heart, and when people meet my Dad, they can't understand that he's the same guy who had(s) nothing to do with his own family for years (until I got worried and started trying to see where he lived). So in a nutshell, I will always love my Dad, but I don't think we will ever be close the way my Mom and I are. He loved me and still does, but he isn't one to go out of his way to send a birthday gift or to really be there for you. And I'm okay with that. I thank God for bringing Scot into my life to where I could finally open up to someone, and be able to even talk about my Dad without bursting into tears. I always used to wish my parents had never gotten divorced, but I understand more now that I'm older that sometimes adults change and can fall out of love.

Well, I hope ya'll enjoyed some of my retro old school pics, and a bit more about my relationship with my parents. How is your relationship with your parents? I would love to know, are your parents still married? I love hearing about couples who have been married many many years, as it gives me encouragement in my own life, even though mine were married 20+ years before they divorced.