Gratituesday: Giving Thanks for Parents Who Live a “Less of Me” Life
Our parents are our most important and most influential teachers. We learn so much about life from them. Because we are focusing on thinking more of others and less of self this month I found myself thinking about my parents and how they gave to others. A couple of things stand out in my memory. My dad was an M and M, hard shell on the outside but soft in the center. If someone asked him for money he opened his billfold and gave it to them. He worked harder than any person I’ve ever known and he knew the value of a dollar, but he never hesitated to give to others.
Mom was a teacher and many of my memories of her involve things her students have told me. She died in 1990 and not a year goes by that some of her students don’t mention her to me and tell me what a difference she made in their lives. Just last week I received the following email from a friend, ” I am sending you a picture that my son had on his Facebook page. I think I have told you before that I credit your mother with both my older sons love of reading! This party she held at her house every year was a big deal to kids!”
My mom was a sixth grade reading teacher and the party my friend is speaking of was the culminating event of a year devoted to reading. If the student’s read a certain number of books then they were allowed to attend the party at our house. It was a lot of work but her student’s loved it and so she did it year and after year, probably never imagining what a long lasting gift she was giving her students.
My cousin Martha wrote to me about her parents, Roberta and John (I always called him Uncle Johnny) and how they taught her by example.
Giving, thoughtful, and compassionate..those three words come to mind when I think of my parents. As educators, my parents modeled caring about others through their careers. We all know that people who choose to be teachers do so because of the “pay” they receive through helping others- not because the pay check. My father passed away two years ago today (January 12th), and I have such precious memories of stories that his former students told me about how he changed their lives. As a principal, it was often the second chance he gave them, or the fact that he had high expectations for all. My mother taught high school and was a very unconventional teacher. Her students have talked about watching her stand on her desk to get their attention, and about the fun they had with her on Beta Club trips. The dedication of my parents to their students had a great impact on my choice to follow in their footsteps when I chose my own career.
Although their careers were important, my parents taught me the most about how to be a servant through their church work. Some of my earliest memories are of picking up an elderly lady and driving her to church every week. My mother and dad both taught Sunday School classes, but it was the way they served others which is where the “real” teaching took place. Both of my parents used the telephone very wisely. They kept the church directory right by their recliners and whenever they sat down, they used it as an opportunity to call and check on someone. All shut-ins received frequent calls, as well as visits and food. Our youth minister talks about being a part of the “John Temple Lawn Service”. He had a circuit of yards that he kept mowed, every single year. My mother is famous for taking care of elderly ladies by helping them with their checkbooks, driving them to the store or appointments, or just dropping by for a visit. In addition to the church members, mom knows all her neighbors by name and checks in on them too!
Another service that my parents performed was to be present at every possible surgery that our church family encountered! The preacher even told the church secretary to call him BEFORE she called my parents so that he could be the first one at the hospital! In the last few years I have spent some time with my parents in the hospital and I now know how much these visits mean.
Sunday dinners have always been special for our family, and even though our family has grown in size, there is always room for more. There are always extra plates at the table for new friends!
The compassion that my parents have shown others through the years has made the world a better place for those of us that are following them. I pray that I can grow into the huge shoes that my parents have demonstrated through their lives.
Thank you God for blessing me with wonderful Christian parents.
Amen!
What did your parents teach you about giving to others? Share your stories and comments with us at NanaHood!
