It is that time of year when we bake pies, fry turkeys, mash potatoes and eat things like cranberries in a fashion that would never occur to us any other time of the year.
It is the time we are supposed to give thanks for our blessings. Occasionally, that tradition gets lost in the desire to get the best deal on "hot-new-technological-gadget-of-the-moment".
I've had a few weeks of funk leading up to this, one of my two favorite holidays (the other - July 4th), but no matter how bad things can get at work, no matter how much I miss my sweet Eddie, no matter how stressed I am worrying about where the next dollar for Eddie's Road is going to come from, I am very aware that I have much to be thankful for.
If asked to name what I am most thankful for, the answer is ridiculously easy.
Sara & Al Erbes.
Good parenting should never be taken for granted. Without the love, guidance, wisdom, humor and leadership of these two people I would be nothing. They made it look so easy - the steady, secure, happy, domestic life. Gently guiding their five children without pushing us into activities or behavior that was uncomfortable for us.
If they were disappointed in our decisions they always seemed to handle it without a lot of drama and criticism. Although, Daddy had a difficult time hiding his obvious displeasure when I came home exuberant after purchasing my first car - all by myself. For the first time in his family life something other than an American-made Chevrolet darkened our driveway. To his horror, I arrived in a Datsun 210 hatchback. A few short months later as he picked me up at the dealership for the 3rd time as it got repaired, he finally couldn't hold it in any longer. "God damned Jap cars!"
My next vehicle was a Camaro.
They were the kind of parents that all my friends liked being around. They had no problem with 12 screeching pre-teen girls "slumbering" in our rec room and rarely ventured downstairs to tell us to turn down the music and go to sleep. Although Mom wasn't too pleased when she found a frozen training bra stuck to the box of fish sticks in the freezer. I don't think we ever figured out who it belonged to. So much for that practical joke.
My appreciation for my parents has grown with every year of wisdom that I gain.
As I laid in the dark listening to Eddie's stories of his sad, terrifying childhood and wept, I constantly thought of Sara, Al and how lucky I was to have had them.
An now as I learn the stories of the Eddie's Road Interns, all I can think of is - without Mom & Dad, this could have been me.
Parenting, like life in general, is all about choices. The difference is that your choices as a parent impact your child.
In a perfect world, parenting is the ultimate selfless act. Every decision should start with, "How does this effect my child?"
For over 6 million American children - the parent made horrible, selfish choices.
Six Million. That is how many kids are in the child welfare system in the US. It is appalling that this many people screwed up parenting to that degree. And the number seems to grow every year.
There isn't enough money on the planet to fix this problem. But that doesn't mean we can't try. For ten kids in the Eddie's Road intern program, we are attempting to fix the damage done by the horrible choices of their parents. 2013 will be quite challenging for us. Money is tight everywhere and we are scratching and clawing to make what we need to keep these kids from making the same bad choices their parents made.
If you were blessed with great parents like me, then perhaps you could honor them by making a donation to Eddie's Road this Thanksgiving.
Regardless, whether they are living or passed on - give thanks to the people who guided you and helped nurture you into who you are today.
"A happy childhood lasts forever"
Pass the turkey, please
www.eddiesroad.org
It is the time we are supposed to give thanks for our blessings. Occasionally, that tradition gets lost in the desire to get the best deal on "hot-new-technological-gadget-of-the-moment".
I've had a few weeks of funk leading up to this, one of my two favorite holidays (the other - July 4th), but no matter how bad things can get at work, no matter how much I miss my sweet Eddie, no matter how stressed I am worrying about where the next dollar for Eddie's Road is going to come from, I am very aware that I have much to be thankful for.
If asked to name what I am most thankful for, the answer is ridiculously easy.
Sara & Al Erbes.
Good parenting should never be taken for granted. Without the love, guidance, wisdom, humor and leadership of these two people I would be nothing. They made it look so easy - the steady, secure, happy, domestic life. Gently guiding their five children without pushing us into activities or behavior that was uncomfortable for us.
If they were disappointed in our decisions they always seemed to handle it without a lot of drama and criticism. Although, Daddy had a difficult time hiding his obvious displeasure when I came home exuberant after purchasing my first car - all by myself. For the first time in his family life something other than an American-made Chevrolet darkened our driveway. To his horror, I arrived in a Datsun 210 hatchback. A few short months later as he picked me up at the dealership for the 3rd time as it got repaired, he finally couldn't hold it in any longer. "God damned Jap cars!"
My next vehicle was a Camaro.
They were the kind of parents that all my friends liked being around. They had no problem with 12 screeching pre-teen girls "slumbering" in our rec room and rarely ventured downstairs to tell us to turn down the music and go to sleep. Although Mom wasn't too pleased when she found a frozen training bra stuck to the box of fish sticks in the freezer. I don't think we ever figured out who it belonged to. So much for that practical joke.
My appreciation for my parents has grown with every year of wisdom that I gain.
As I laid in the dark listening to Eddie's stories of his sad, terrifying childhood and wept, I constantly thought of Sara, Al and how lucky I was to have had them.
An now as I learn the stories of the Eddie's Road Interns, all I can think of is - without Mom & Dad, this could have been me.
Parenting, like life in general, is all about choices. The difference is that your choices as a parent impact your child.
In a perfect world, parenting is the ultimate selfless act. Every decision should start with, "How does this effect my child?"
For over 6 million American children - the parent made horrible, selfish choices.
Six Million. That is how many kids are in the child welfare system in the US. It is appalling that this many people screwed up parenting to that degree. And the number seems to grow every year.
There isn't enough money on the planet to fix this problem. But that doesn't mean we can't try. For ten kids in the Eddie's Road intern program, we are attempting to fix the damage done by the horrible choices of their parents. 2013 will be quite challenging for us. Money is tight everywhere and we are scratching and clawing to make what we need to keep these kids from making the same bad choices their parents made.
If you were blessed with great parents like me, then perhaps you could honor them by making a donation to Eddie's Road this Thanksgiving.
Regardless, whether they are living or passed on - give thanks to the people who guided you and helped nurture you into who you are today.
"A happy childhood lasts forever"
Pass the turkey, please
www.eddiesroad.org
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