I saw him reading his Bible and thought it must be a good thing to do.

I watched her working hard to make our meals and keep the house in shape and thought that being a mom was a tiring job.

I observed him reading books about computers.  I noticed her sitting at the table with a big book open before her, diligently practicing one sign language word after another.  And I realized that you never stop learning, that a person’s knowledge and worth is not determined by whether or not they have a college degree (which my parents didn’t have).

My dad played basketball with me and helped me practice my shots.  He taught me that skills are not obtained instantly but are acquired through hard work and perseverance.

My mom rode her bike beside me as I trained for cross-country and showed me the value of having someone at your side to encourage you along the way.

My dad taught me that it’s ok to question the doctrines of man and hold tight to the things of God.

My mom encouraged me to say nice things about people and shared wise tidbits of social advice such as, don’t gossip in the bathroom since you never know who is listening in the next stall.

My dad trained me to think through the safety of an activity, to make sure I was properly equipped, and to only commit if I was confident I could finish. 

My mom taught me to respect and show kindness towards those who worked in retail.  She showed me how you can turn someone’s day around simply by smiling at them and expressing interest in their life.

Parents. 

They are an inseparable part of our childhood.  The lessons they teach us, by word and example, stay with us throughout our lives.  From them we learn practical lessons for this life and eternal lessons for the next. 

Being a parent isn’t easy.  Since I became a mom six years ago, my respect and admiration for my own parents has dramatically increased.  I’ve realized just how incredibly challenging this role is. And yet, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I was going to focus on fathers and mothers separately, but after further consideration, I decided to combine the two.  Why?  Because it’s hard for me to separate them.  They were both instrumental in forming who I am today and ideally, they shouldn’t be separated anyway.  Fathers and mothers were meant to work together in this all-so-vital role of raising children.  I’ve had snippets of experiencing the single-parent thing when John’s job required him to be away for days at a time, and it is not fun.  My respect and sympathy for single parents has definitely skyrocketed.

So I want to say, thank you, to all the parents out there.  Thank you, moms and dads, for the essential, self-sacrificial work you do for your children.  Whether you realize it or not, whether you see the immediate results or not, your work matters.  It matters in this life and the next.    

Join me: what do you like about your parents?  What lessons do you remember the most from them?  Let me know in the comments below.

Openings for Guest Postings

If there is a what-I-like-about topic you would like to write about and submit as a guest posting, you can type it up and send it to me, along with your picture and short bio, at jennyannlitfin@gmail.com. 

And that concludes this posting.  May you all have a good Father’s Day and a God-filled week!