waltondammerung

Count your biscuits

My brother (or "brat", as he would be known in Russian) posted a comment about my recent post about Supersize Me that reminded me that, while I am very thankful for a great many things in my life, I do not mention them often enough. In particular, I am incredibly grateful for my parents and all that they have done for me. Our family was never wealthy. I think there may have even been times when we were downright poor by many standards, but I never felt it. Through careful budgeting and prioritizing, my parents made sure that we never felt need. I had violin lessons (and the rather expensive instruments to go with them) for 17 years. My violin has brought me many opportunities and immeasurable joy, from meeting the president of Guatemala to a tour of Europe in high school to eight years of teaching younger violinists to touching hearts and minds for God in the music ministries at all of churches I've attended.

The violin is just one example of the many things my parents introduced to my life, sometimes against my protests, that have had a bigger impact on my adult life than I could have guessed they would as a child. My parents did not push me into meaningless activities that just cluttered my life the way many parents do, but they were firm in encouraging me to pursue interests that built discipline and character. They have always expected a great deal from both my brother and I academically, but now I see that it was almost always just enough to keep us challenged. They never expected more than we could muster. When our schools did not keep us on our toes, Mom did. I have her to thank for my love of music and literature, and for knowing what it means to have a "jaundiced eye". My brother and I also owe our ability to read to Mom, since she homeschooled us each for a year in order to teach us to learn to read through phonics. My mom has always given us, our family, her best, and the best from someone as talented and intelligent as my mom is a pretty awe-inspiring thing. From my father, I learned the value of patience and unflinching love for humanity. His passion for children many people consider unteachable--sometimes even unloveable--and his unrelenting compassion for even the most stubborn co-workers and friends have demonstrated the love of God the Father carried out in the life of a man in the best way I can imagine.

I have only just begun my life as an adult. I don't even have children of my own yet, but I am already impressed, inspired, and challenged by the example my parents have set in faith, in marriage, and in parenthood. Thank you, Mom and Dad.