I feel like people forgot the meaning of the word parent or just how important a role the parents have in their children’s lives. 

I had dinner with my mom last night and it was really nice. My mom and I have very different views on a lot of things and usually don’t see eye to eye. And there are subjects we don’t talk about because of that, it would only lead to arguments, respectful arguments, but still arguments that usually lead to a bitter taste to what was a very nice evening before. 

My mom has been and will forever be one of the most important people in my life. She is always there for me when I need her, no matter what. She helps me wherever she can even if I don’t want her to. But that is just who she is. Growing up she was my constant and she still is. She is the one person I know I can always count on or fall back to when there is no one else around. 

People have a tendency to forget how important it is for children to have both a female and a male role model growing up. It’s important and it makes a difference, a huge one. 

I was lucky enough to have to great male role models. My dad until he died when I was almost twelve years old and my stepdad after that. 

My mom was a very present parent, yes, she worked part time, had to after my dad got sick, but she was a very involved parent. And my dad was home all the time after he got sick. My stepdad always took time for both my sister and me, listening to our day, showing interest in our interests, helping us with advice and gifting us with his time. He encouraged us to follow our dreams and helped making some of them come true. 

And on the days when both of my parents worked, it was my grandparents on both sides that took care of us. On the days my mom worked after my dad got sick it was one of my uncles and an older lady who volunteered who took care of my dad until my mom came back home. Plus, there was one afternoon a week where my dad’s older brother came and spent time with my dad so my mom could do something for herself. 

There were never strangers that took care of me, that raised me. On the days the older lady was with us, my dad was home too. Everyone who took care of us was someone in our family who shared my parents, values and taught us respect and the meaning and importance of family. This was one of the main things I was taught growing up, how important family is and that in the end family sticks together no matter what even if we don’t always agree, even if we argue about stupid things, when it comes down to it, family is the thing you can count on. 

This is how it should be. Family should be priority number one. I don’t understand why and when family lost its importance and society forgot how very important parents are in a child’s life.

I am so very grateful for my family, especially the older generation, because it is thanks to them that I value family as highly as I do now.