I am grateful to my parents for

[sanctamaria17]

1. For sacrificing a lot of comforts to raise me and my siblings.
2. For taking an interest in our interests and our friends.
3. For supporting and encouraging my conversion to Catholicism and for allowing themselves to open up to faith.
4. For sending me to Catholic school as a child so that #3 could happen.
5. For spanking me. I NEVER thought I’d say that, but we turned out to be well-behaved, polite kids who knew nothing less would be acceptable.
6. For making me do as many chores and for teaching me how to do them. I learned to be responsible, disciplined, and to clean up after myself.
7. For expecting me to do well in school and encouraging me in what I was good at.
8. For helping me with college.
9. For sending me food from time to time.
10. For encouraging me in my desire to travel, even though they worry about their oldest.
11. For encouraging me to think and using teachable moments for everything.
12. For encouraging me to read, even if they didn’t like the books.
13. For loving me through a ton of hard moments
14. For giving me life.

What are you grateful to your families for?

 

[YankeeRC]

I am grateful to may parents for keeping the Faith and providing a good Catholic example to me for all those long years when I strayed from the Church.

I am especially grateful to my Mom for praying for me to regain my faith and I am happy to say that I have.

So thanks Mom, thanks Dad. I love you

p.s. I am also *grateful *I caught my spelling error and corrected greatful

 

[takers]

I’m grateful that my parents recognized that I’d turn out okay and didn’t kill me during my teenage years.

I’m grateful that my parents paid 100% of college so that I graduated student-loan free which made transitioning into adult-hood on my own easier.

I’m grateful that my parents willingly turned into my friends instead of keeping the parental role.

I’m grateful that even though I’m almost 30 I know that should I ever need them they’ll be there by my side in an instant.

 

[monicatholic]

mostly i’m grateful for my mother’s rosaries.

when i was a teen (and a walking catastrophe of early drug addiction, promiscuity etc) my family was sort of imploding. i would go into my mom’s purse to steal cigarettes or money. she always had a dog-earred prayer book, wrapped with a few rubberbands holding index cards with prayer intentions. no matter what else was written on that card, it ALWAYS began with: esp. for Monica.

i was my mother’s primary prayer intention. every day for years.

still, when i was an older teen, really in full-out freefall, i’d try and sneak back into the house after being gone for a day or 2 or 3 (like what was i thinking? nobody would notice i’d been gone if they didn’t see me crawl back in…??) anyway, i’d come creeping in the house to find EVERY TIME, my mother sitting in the chair with her rosaries in her hand. sure, as soon as she’d see me, she’d drop them and try and kill me, but i always saw those rosaries.

later when i had big conversion and got my act together, my mother, in complete trust of God and humility would say, " i knew you’d be all right. like saint monica’s augustine-- a child of so many tears could not perish."

because my life is saner than the family in which i grew up, my kids are being raised in a saner, calmer, more peaceful way than i was raised. but i sure cannot beat my mother on prayer. it was the best parenting i ever learned (and i did eventually have a very prodigal son. and my mother reminds me now, 'a child of so many tears will not perish.)

so now i know what it cost her and i’m grateful all the more.

oh. and i’m so grateful for my three sisters and my one brother. i love them so much.

 

[Art321]

1. I am grateful to my parents for putting up with me all these years.
2. I am grateful to my parents for giving me all the love that they possible could.
3. I am grateful to my parents for giving the true faith of Chirst with all its beauty.
4. I am grateful for my mother for always giving me advice in times that I really needed them.
5. I am grateful to my father for telling me to always look forward, to never give up on one’s dream.
6. I am grateful to my parents for my brothers, although they sometimes get on my nerves.
7. I am grateful to my parents for giving me an education.
8. I am greatful for my parents themselves for always being there for me and for always giving me support.

… and I am GRATEFUL to GOD for giving me such wonderful parents.

 

[Joseph629]

1. For sacrificing a lot of comforts to raise me and my siblings.
2. For taking an interest in our interests and our friends.
3. For supporting and encouraging my conversion to Catholicism and for allowing themselves to open up to faith.
4. For sending me to Catholic school as a child so that #3 could happen.
5. For spanking me. I NEVER thought I’d say that, but we turned out to be well-behaved, polite kids who knew nothing less would be acceptable.
6. For making me do as many chores and for teaching me how to do them. I learned to be responsible, disciplined, and to clean up after myself.
7. For expecting me to do well in school and encouraging me in what I was good at.
8. For helping me with college.
9. For sending me food from time to time.
10. For encouraging me in my desire to travel, even though they worry about their oldest.
11. For encouraging me to think and using teachable moments for everything.
12. For encouraging me to read, even if they didn’t like the books.
13. For loving me through a ton of hard moments
14. For giving me life.

What are you grateful to your families for?

This is difficult for me to read. All I can think of is that I’m NOT grateful to my parents:

For not taking an interest in my interests and my friends.
For not supporting and encouraging my faith in Catholicism and for not allowing themselves to open up to faith.
For not sending me to Catholic high school.
For spanking me. Those beatings were horrific, and left more emotional pain than physical.
For not encouraging me to do well at school. For not taking an interest in my school subjects.
For discouraging me in attending college. I went anyway, but they were never interested in anything I studied.
For discouraging me in my desire to travel and telling me it was a waste of time.
For not encouraging me to think and using teachable moments for everything.
For not encouraging me to read,
For…and the list goes on.

I’ve become successful in my own right, have a loving and wonderful Catholic family, but to this day my parents -in their 80s, still think I’m a fool for my Catholicism, still think I never succeeded at anything, (though I became a professional therapist), are still not interested in ANYTHING I’ve done or do, and certainly would prefer to DIScourage me at anything rather than ENcourage. These are the facts. But I pray for them everyday, and rather than be angry (though it appears that way), I am very saddened for them. I wish that I could give a beautiful testimony like everyone else here. My biggest concern for them now is their spiritual welfare. They don’t have long on this earth, and I pray vigorously that they turn their hearts to God.

 

[Joseph629]

This is difficult for me to read. All I can think of is that I’m NOT grateful to my parents:

For not taking an interest in my interests and my friends.
For not supporting and encouraging my faith in Catholicism and for not allowing themselves to open up to faith.
For not sending me to Catholic high school.
For spanking me. Those beatings were horrific, and left more emotional pain than physical.
For not encouraging me to do well at school. For not taking an interest in my school subjects.
For discouraging me in attending college. I went anyway, but they were never interested in anything I studied.
For discouraging me in my desire to travel and telling me it was a waste of time.
For not encouraging me to think and using teachable moments for everything.
For not encouraging me to read,
For…and the list goes on.

I’ve become successful in my own right, have a loving and wonderful Catholic family, but to this day my parents -in their 80s, still think I’m a fool for my Catholicism, still think I never succeeded at anything, (though I became a professional therapist), are still not interested in ANYTHING I’ve done or do, and certainly would prefer to DIScourage me at anything rather than ENcourage. These are the facts. But I pray for them everyday, and rather than be angry (though it appears that way), I am very saddened for them. I wish that I could give a beautiful testimony like everyone else here. My biggest concern for them now is their spiritual welfare. They don’t have long on this earth, and I pray vigorously that they turn their hearts to God.

As an after-thought, the irony ‘MAY’ be that: because of what I ‘wasn’t’ given, I have done the exact opposite and given everything (emotional and spiritual) to my children. I suppose for that (again, -ironical-), I am thankful.

 

[monicatholic]

They don’t have long on this earth, and I pray vigorously that they turn their hearts to God.

joseph, your sorrow, loss and pain makes you prayers all the more powerful. may God hear the deepest desires of your heart. in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

[dakotagirl]

As an after-thought, the irony ‘MAY’ be that: because of what I ‘wasn’t’ given, I have done the exact opposite and given everything (emotional and spiritual) to my children. I suppose for that (again, -ironical-), I am thankful.

There you go, Joseph. I’m so sorry your parents were sick. Lots of people have monsters, even narcissists for parents whistles. You are right to look on the bright side.

I personally am happy that my parents gave me life - and therefore a chance for Heaven. They gave me my Faith, and also many WONDERFUL siblings who rock my world. My siblings pull me through the tough times and get where I am coming from when I rant.

 

[sanctamaria17]

As an after-thought, the irony ‘MAY’ be that: because of what I ‘wasn’t’ given, I have done the exact opposite and given everything (emotional and spiritual) to my children. I suppose for that (again, -ironical-), I am thankful.

I will pray for you. I’m so sorry you had to face such pain.

 

[Joseph629]

To monicatholic, dakotagirl and sanctamaria17,

-thank you very much for your kind thoughts and prayers, -I certainly didn’t expect that. In the end, we have to forgive and love. You are loving people, -and helpful.

Now I don’t want my post to spoil the intent of the thread. Please, everyone, -tell of your appreciation of your parents, I’d like to read them.

God bless you (us) all.

 

[mamabear3]

I am grateful for all the punishments my parents ever gave me! they were right

for giving me a great sense of humor, and good morals

for their support of my marriage (i was pretty young, 18)

for all the love, support, help they give to me and my family.

for laughing at me when i’m upset and making me realize IT’S OKAY!

for teaching me thar TV is stupid

 

[RobnBobA1]

I love this OP. What a way to give thanks to the influence that our parents (general experience) gave us, and in the case of some the thanks that their examples led us to a better path (parents who did not know how to behave as parents…sorry)

I suggest that we not only right down our thankfulness (is that even a word ) but also take the time today to tell our parents about all the things they have done.

1. Thankfull that they gave me strong morals based on not theological arguements that my rationale mind can understand and strongly hold onto
2. That they did spank me (wow that is hard to say ) and also disciplined me in other ways depending on my behavior
3. That they recognized my potential and pushed me to fulfill it even when I was lazy
4. That they supported my vast amounts of sports even when they could not come to every meet, game or competition
5. That my protective mother gritted her teeth and let me climb as high as I wanted in the trees (that I was comfortable with which was far higher than my mother was) to give me independence while showing me that she would always be there if I fell.
6. That they encouraged school above all else and the importance of education, rather than being one of the masses that simply did what others told me.
7. That they allowed all of their children to find their own spiritual paths and when they had questions about theology they would answer in objective terms without trying to influence.
8. That my father accepted that he would not have a son to do son things with and gave his daughters the means to be independent of men for household and automoble problems and to fix them ourselves.
9. Also to my father for showing us when real men are life and how we deserve to be treated, thus giving us the confidence to not “settle” but to reach for the best, for the best relationships and marraiges.
10. I am also weirdly thankful that they made mistakes as parents, since it showed me that they are fallible, capable of falling and sometimes in need of their children to lean on and who will support them in their failings.

I am thankful for so many thing that they have done that I cannot write them all down, so I left it at 10. Now time for me to remind them of the amazing job that they did of raising their hellion of a daughter.