If you could thank one person....who would it be?

Well, it's been a somewhat turbulant year since my daughter turned thirteen. I've done alot of thinking about who I was when I was a young teenager......I wasn't very nice. And more important, I wasn't very nice to my mom. Boy, I gave her a hard time.

I was defiant, rebellious, rude and mouthy.

She loved me anyway.

I was lazy and unmotivated.

She loved me anyway.

I had an attitude like no other.

She loved me anyway.

Not only did she love me anyway, she was patient and non-critical. I have been told by so many of her friends that I gave her the hardest time of all the kids (I have one sister and two brothers) but she worried about me less, she always knew that I would be ok. She saw something in me that noone else did. I'm not sure what is was to this day.

So thank you mom for having so much faith in me when so many did not. I just wish you were here so that I could tell you. I'm having a hard time today and the tears are flowing.

Because of you I know that my daughter will be ok, I can see the beauty in her even when others can't see past her attitude.

So, who would you thank and why? Maybe I'm doing this so that others won't wait so long to thank those who deserve to hear it, don't wait until it's too late.

Maybe it's just the cashier at the drive thru who smiled at you and said "have a nice day" even though they wanted to throw your coffee at you because you were impatient.

Maybe it's someone so close to you that you don't even know where to start, you can't find the right words.

Maybe this will help.


Rush

Great thread. I was also, shall we say 'a jerk' when I was a kid. We think alike in this particular area.

I thank YOU for pointing out something which is so important.

My exboss that twisted off and

gave me his account book, a ford falcon, tools and the confidence to become an entrepreneur; A work ethic and the knowledge that anyone not afraid to get their hands dirty can make a lot of money in
America.


I hope you made it out OK Ric and eventually found some peace.
You have no idea what a profound influence you had on my life.



[edit on 8-7-2008 by whaaa]

reply to post by hsur2112

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Oh honey..I was the same way with my mom.
I gave her so much grief.
The parties, the guys, the running away, the POLICE!!!
She is no longer with me either, but I made peace with all that I need to with her.

There is a person that I would thank..
although there have been many over the years that influenced me one way or another, there is only one, who brought me up from the deepest darkest hole I was in, and gave me the courage and strength I needed to be happy with my choices and my life today. I care for this person a lot and they remain a very good friend. I have already said thanks many times, but I'll say it again..
Thanks C-Dog.

Thanks for the reply, lombozo. I realize how patient my mom was with me and am trying to be just as patient with my teen. I know that 'little lombozo' isn't a teen yet, but they test us regardless of their age, don't they? And I try to handle things they way she would have, but damn, I sure could use her advice sometimes. I know that you also understand that.

Rush

reply to post by whaaa

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It's so great that you recognize and appreciate the gift he gave to you. What a selfless act and for you to do such positive things with that gift certainly speaks for your character. Thanks.

Rush

You too? And that's just for starters! hehe Well, with one exception.....I think that if anyone asked my mom what she was thankful for she would probably say..."well, at least she wasn't arrested". And to this day I still don't know how I got so lucky.



I wish I could say the same Access. We actually became very, very close and the best of friends, but there were some things that I wish I could have told her. I guess that's usually the case when you lose someone you love, but I'd like to change that.

Thanks for understanding.

Rush

Sorry for making it as simple as this.

I would and do thank myself for not allowing myself for going insane with the life I deal with. Too long and it would sound like complaining to explaine.

There is nothing wrong with simplicity. And good for you, it's ok to give yourself a big pat on the back.

Rush

If there is something that has given me life, that is what I would thank.

If I had to select just one person, it would obviously be someone who I've lost the opportunity to actually thank. Anyone else I could just go thank now, and probably wouldn't be my first choice. But my first choice has been for a very long time, and probably will be for the rest of my life, my step-father who passed away when I was 17. The details surrounding his passing were rather tragic and unexpected, but it was the way things ended.

He was a hard ass with me for most of my life, and I constantly remained defiant to find my own way. We got along like the best of friends, but I always felt he was too damn tough on me as a father. If I had a curfew and I was five minutes early, he'd say I was cutting it close and lecture me.

When I did really screw up though, he wasn't as tough on me.. so he kind of let me learn from my own mistakes for bigger things.. but the day to day minor details were never left to slide.

My last words to him one evening were that I actually hated him. Of course I didn't, but a stubborn, pissed off teenager has probably said worse. The next time I seen him he was unconscious on the floor at six in the morning.

I'm not really sure if he ever heard another word out of my mouth in the week that he spent in a coma.

So if I could say anything, it would be I'm sorry and that I can never truly thank him for the guidance he provided me throughout my teenage years. I really wouldn't be the person I am today without him. It took a few years of running amok before I realized that without the guidance I had years ago that I never would have probably made it through school.

So yeah, I'd thank him.

Hey Chissler, thanks for sharing your story, that couldn't have been easy. We have many similarities. I lost my mom when she was only 60, I was 34. However, the last time I had seen her I was very short and impatient, she was heading to the airport to visit my sister in Tennessee. I felt terrible the second she got on the plane, just over a week later she was on a breathing machine, and I don't know if she heard me either, I hope so. I try to hang on to that.

I am absolutely positive that your stepfather knew that you didn't hate him just like my mom knew that I loved her....parents just know don't they?

Rush

reply to post by hsur2112

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Rush I truly understand.
And for the record (No pun intended) I never did get arrested.
I'm good at talking my way outta things.

What a lovely thread and a lovely thought.......

This thread got me thinking because obviously im very thankful to my mother and my beautiful son, but apart from them, i am yet to meet someone who has a profound effect on my life, im not sure if thats good or bad!

And if im totally honest, at this point in my life, im thankful to the people that made my life very difficult in the past, because without hitting rock bottom and rebuilding myself, i would not have become the very strong individual person i am today..... going through very hard times at a young age has made me who i am, has made me appreciate what inner peace feels like and to live life without drama and chaos.

Id also like to thank a country, Spain..... moving to spain was life changing for me, i lived on the beach front, in a small village where i believe i was led to by fate for some 'healing time'..... it changed every single part of, and im very very thankful..... one particular event in spain that im thankful for, was on a sunny morning in september, and i had taken a walk down the beach and went by some isolated rocks to watch the sunrise and reflect.... i was thinking about my past and life in general, when out of nowhere, literally 40metres out to sea were a pod of dolphins!! .....i had always loved dolphins since i was child, so i was in awe..... and of course, very thankful...

reply to post by cosmicstorm

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Hi cosmic. Nice to hear from you. Your time in Spain sounds very peaceful yet empowering. It's funny how the most simple things can have such a deep impact on our lives as the dolphins did for you.

It is a common thing we all seem to have....what a great point you and Chissler make, how much we appreciate those who were/are toughest on us and those who, as you said made our lives difficult. And it's really hard as a parent to let your children 'fall down' so to speak so that they can learn how to pick themselves up.

reply to post by _Phoenix_

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Thanks for posting, Pheonix. Such a nice way of putting it. I hope we can all ponder on what that is, if even just little.

Rush

reply to post by cosmicstorm

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The more I read your posts, the more I like you.

Great post.

Especially the spain bit, I could really imagine it.

[edit on 8-7-2008 by _Phoenix_]

Thank you for making a great thread.