By Staff
Parents play vital role
Editor:
After reading the editorial a couple of weeks ago of the orphaned teenager, it made me think of the word "orphaned," and of my childhood. Mom died before I was two-years-old, and dad passed away before I was nine. Though my parents weren't able to be around to nurture their children, we had a maternal grandmother that went the extra mile to see that her grandchildren were where they should be, and that was with her.
Best count of all the children and grandchildren that she either reared, along with others that she had a significant role in their rearing, is 19. After burying her husband, her parents, and three of her grown daughters, she wouldn't have it any other way but to see that their children received the love and guidance that would direct their path in life for the years to come.
There are no good memories for me regarding my parents, and none that I can pass on to my children. My children will never know anything about their paternal grandparents, other than what little I know. Holidays, (i.e., Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, etc.) weren't as pleasant as they should have been. They were observed or celebrated, but the fact that very important people were missing from the festivities lingered in the back of everyone's mind.
Many people take far too many things for granted, including their parents.
The reality is that in any given second, anything and anyone can be permanently removed from your life. If I had the opportunity to change things, my childhood would have been much different, for not knowing my parents, is indescribable.
From time to time, as adults or as children, we need a good dose of reality along with humility. We need to step back and see who we are, where we are, and how we got there. One thing's for certain, an occasional "I love you" to either your children or your parents goes a long way.
Mike Dowdy
Hartselle