My parents were never wealthy. In fact, they were in dire poverty during the years of the Great Depression; I have never experienced anything near the desperation that they lived through during those years. Through their own hard work and values they were able to give me a middle class childhood and youth, a college education, and a priceless inheritance. My inheritance included:
1. A love of reading and learning
2. The knowledge of how to live a good life by making the best of what you have. Cooking, sewing, gardening
3. A spirit of perseverance and a work ethic
4. An example of debt free living
5. A spirit of independence, taking care of my family, not being dependent on others
As I get older, how I have come to appreciate my parents and the inheritance they gave me.
5 comments:
Florence,
You're so lucky. It is only in my parents death that I have finally come to understand them. They were so misguided. My heart aches for them and how I wish I could tell them I am sorry for their lives. They were both given a raw deal.
The only thing I learned from them is what NOT to do.
Peace.
I think most of us come to a better understanding of our parents as we get older. When we are young, we don't understand the forces that made them the way they were. Whatever their weaknesses were, they gave you the gift of compassion as is so prevalent in your writing.
Your inheritance was priceless. To your list, I'd like to add the value of being a good neighbor. My late father, who grew up in the rural south during the 1930's, taught me that by his example.
The part about reading is interesting. I saw both my parents reading all the time. I used to get up early to have breakfast with my dad (who actually worked graveyard and was headed off to bed after he ate) and we'd share and argue about the morning news. Only when I was an adult did I realize that Mom read romances and mysteries while Dad read newspapers and sports magazines--not a literary masterpiece in the bunch. But no matter--I got the message that reading was a pleasurable activity. That was the best thing I inherited from both of them.
Grace, my father was a seaman and would be gone for several months at a time; he loved to read history. When he had a stroke and was unable to work, I would go to the library and bring home stacks of books for him to read.
My mother had only a grade school education but when the library started a Great Books discussion group, she joined and we read all the books for the discussion group. I still remember being asked about my thoughts on Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations and what was the best way to make pins.
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