When I went away to college for my bachelor’s degree, I can honestly say, I learned more about myself than I did about my studies. One of the things that became clear to me, as I matured into a young adult, was how much my parents meant to me. Like most teenagers, I had adopted an attitude of creating a distance between me, and my father and mother, but when I moved away, something changed.
That something was the realization of my love and respect for my parents. In a somewhat dysfunctional home, they had raised my three sisters, my brother and me. They were simply two human beings trying to do the best they could. No one gave them a how-to manual. All of us kids loved our parents, but we didn’t do a very good job expressing it. It had been awhile since I told them I loved them, and figured it was time to tell them. Better yet, I started showing them I loved them on a regular basis.
As I made it a point to go back home almost every weekend to visit, I began to see my parents for who they really were. They were two immigrants from different countries who did their best to raise my siblings and me. They were firm, yet loving in their own way. As far as I can remember, my father only told me that he loved me once or twice and it was near the end of his life that he said it. It was just the way he was brought up. He was not able to easily show his emotions.
My mother was different. It was much easier for me to tell her how much I loved her. And she would always tell she loved me too. Mind you, I didn’t start to open myself up to this type of dialogue until I was in my late twenties and early thirties.
So, as the years passed, I did my best to make it a top priority to express my love to both of my parents. The nice thing about this was that we learned from each other how to articulate how we felt. I am so glad I did. My parents are gone now but those fond memories of the time we spent together will live in my mind forever. Here is my point. You are not getting any younger and neither are they. Remember, they can’t smell the roses and read your card at their funeral. If you haven’t started appreciating your parents as much as you feel you should, now is the time to do it.
Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. He is a business consultant, speaker, coach and author. He helps companies and organization become more profitable by increasing their value and lowering their costs through the professional development of their managers and employees. Please see more of his blogs at collegejobbankblog.com. If you are looking for additional job listings, career advice or just help with your job search, then visit Nexxt.
That something was the realization of my love and respect for my parents. In a somewhat dysfunctional home, they had raised my three sisters, my brother and me. They were simply two human beings trying to do the best they could. No one gave them a how-to manual. All of us kids loved our parents, but we didn’t do a very good job expressing it. It had been awhile since I told them I loved them, and figured it was time to tell them. Better yet, I started showing them I loved them on a regular basis.
As I made it a point to go back home almost every weekend to visit, I began to see my parents for who they really were. They were two immigrants from different countries who did their best to raise my siblings and me. They were firm, yet loving in their own way. As far as I can remember, my father only told me that he loved me once or twice and it was near the end of his life that he said it. It was just the way he was brought up. He was not able to easily show his emotions.
My mother was different. It was much easier for me to tell her how much I loved her. And she would always tell she loved me too. Mind you, I didn’t start to open myself up to this type of dialogue until I was in my late twenties and early thirties.
So, as the years passed, I did my best to make it a top priority to express my love to both of my parents. The nice thing about this was that we learned from each other how to articulate how we felt. I am so glad I did. My parents are gone now but those fond memories of the time we spent together will live in my mind forever. Here is my point. You are not getting any younger and neither are they. Remember, they can’t smell the roses and read your card at their funeral. If you haven’t started appreciating your parents as much as you feel you should, now is the time to do it.
Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. He is a business consultant, speaker, coach and author. He helps companies and organization become more profitable by increasing their value and lowering their costs through the professional development of their managers and employees. Please see more of his blogs at collegejobbankblog.com. If you are looking for additional job listings, career advice or just help with your job search, then visit Nexxt.
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