My parents

Today, on the arrival day of their first visit to Portland since we moved, I am extremely grateful for my parents. There are so many reasons to be thankful for them, so this may take a few entries over time, but I'll touch on it today!

My parents, like man parents, have always provided for me in every way necessary. Obviously while rowing up, they kept a roof over my head, provided me a fantastic education, and even squeezed in some memorable family vacations. They were excellent parents who guided my sister and me in the right direction while also letting go every once in a while to watch us make our own mistakes. I'm not a parent yet, but I can only imagine that this is the hardest task as a mother or father. You think you know what's best for your children, and you want so badly for them to turn out well. But you have to remember that sometimes the best lessons are learned through your own mistakes. You must take your hands off their shoulders and trust them to make sound decisions. I've certainly made some mistakes along the way, but I'm so grateful that they allowed me to make them and come out a better woman on the other side.

One thing I hear people often say is that they want to provide a better life for their children than they had. This usually means they want to make more money than their parents and give their children lots of things. I think my parents had that same dream, but interpreted it in a different way. They invested their time in our lives, teaching us how to be good people who contributed positively to this world. They emphasized the value of family. They took an interest in what we liked and supported our decisions.

I'm so excited to see my parents today, and can't wait to show them the life we've built here in Portland. I can only hope that one day I can pass on the same message of "betterment" to my own children!