Issue 31.14
Life today for parents can be a rat race between work, school, church, and community activities. Individuals can lose track of the importance of the family and the opportunities that parenting provides. Many young people are choosing not to marry or have children because of the responsibilities involved. That’s where grandparents or aunts and uncles can be helpful if they live close enough to support family values that could be lost in our modern society. Some grandparents do fill their retirement days with a new rat race running from activities to appointments mostly medical. It’s too easy no matter your age or responsibilities to put family as a low priority. It would be an ideal world if every family was loving and supportive. Unfortunately that doesn’t always happen as death, divorce, abuse and other factors play a role in how nurturing your childhood and growing up was. As an only child raised by a widowed mom (she was raised by a widowed mom also), my goal was always to have an intact HAPPY family with lots of kids and a loving father in the home, but unfortunately that got derailed when divorce introduced itself to my dreams after my marriage. Recently a friend of mine shared with me that her childhood lacked loving, caring parents. School teachers encouraged and praised her abilities, an aunt loved her unconditionally and a family friend created many happy memories from the times they spent together. When this special family friend died, Donna wrote a memorial poem about him as one way to handle the grief she felt. Here’s that poem: A Friend Then, A Friend Still // It was 1950 when they met, / a man twenty three, her a child yet. / This guy who might have been partying, having fun / chose to befriend a child quite young. / She needed someone who would listen and praise, / he took the time to brighten her days. // Many moves later, he never lost touch / with this young person who missed him so much. / He settled down, married and had his own child / but always wrote notes that filled her with smiles. // When she thinks of Gary, she thinks of him thus / a man you could count on, a man you could trust. / A man who was loving even across miles / always remembered by Donna, his pal. // When the year 2002, began / his beautiful life came to an end. / But her heart and soul will always contain / sweet memories of Gary, her forever friend. NEXT TIME: Friends and Family. Send me your excerpt (200 words or less) of a memorable childhood experience to <lin@sunrivertoday.com>