[709]

I know we all have different relationships with our parents. Some great, some awful. *BUT* you know, there had to be one shining moment in your childhood that made you say "Hey, these people are kind've OK."

I only come to this because my brother called me last weekend to say that the house we grew up in was being burned down. Fire Dept. training exercise. Long story short: my dad.

Anyways, he wanted to do one more walk through with me because my brother is a Cancer and super sentimental, where I am a Gemini and honest to gods when I walked through the place I didn't recognize anything. But, he wanted me there. Even if I had to ask where the bathroom was.

So, onto why I started this thread (sorry for crappy photos) :








My parents sent my brother and I to CYTC* every summer, and since my birthday is in summer and I was (am) a dinosaur freak, they thought it would be fun to hire a local artist from the Community College to paint a mural on my bedroom wall. When I came back home from camp, well, *thrilled* isn't the word. I was so out of my mind. Might've been the best day of my childhood.

So this was what I went to bed with and woke up to every morning. Can't think of a better thing, actually.



*CYTC = "Christian Youth Training Camp" Yes, that exists. And yes, that's no small part of why I'm an atheist.

[alcimedes]

My parents got me a dog after years of non-stop asking.

That and they taught me to work for money, rather than waiting for them to buy me crap. That one wasn't nearly as "nice" but has paid by far the most dividends.

[709]

Originally Posted by alcimedes My parents got me a dog after years of non-stop asking.

awww.

I grew up with Beagles - hunting dogs left outside all year round - so I never had a companion dog until 7 (my dog, not my age). The eldest beagle was named "Lucky" and he lived far past his prime to ~15 years. In fact, he died the same day that his owner (my grandfather) died. Little things like that make you wonder....

[Wyatt]

When I was in college, I had to pay my way myself. My parents had no savings, and my mom lost her job my freshman year. I went to a private school, and despite having scholarships, I built up a lot of debt.

A few months before I graduated, my dad's uncle died and left him a somewhat big chunk of money. They used $50,000 of it to pay down my student loan debts.

I still have quite a lot of debt, but that single act enabled nearly everything that has happened in my life since. Without them, my wife and I would be childless and probably living in a pretty shitty situation. As it is, we have a decent house, and we're days away from the birth of our second child.

For that, I owe them my life.

[709]

Holy shit. I got a little lump in my throat after reading that. That's a great story.

Fuck the dino-wall. That's fantastic.

[Chinney]

Interesting thread topic. But at first I could not think of any response. Giving it more thought though I guess that single moment was the Christmas when I was six and what I wanted more than anything was my own bike. And not just any bike, but the bike in the metallic gold paint with high-rise handle bars and a banana seat and white rubber grips with gold metallic streamers hanging down from them that I saw in the local store. I wanted that bike more than any other thing during my childhood. And there it was that Christmas morning. My parents did not have a lot of money then and I certainly did not always get what I wished for on Christmas, but I did that day.

But even that answer is a bit of a cheat, since I have to admit that even that day does not quite meet the criteria of your question, since there was no single event that absolutely stands out, even that one. But I do not mean that in a bad way towards my parents. They gave me a much, much, much greater gift as I grew up, which is living in a family where I felt loved, valued and cared for on a day-by-day basis and where I was able to see their own enduring love for each other. It was a constant thing rather than a single event. They were not perfect parents - nobody is perfect - but they did give me that and that is a lot, if not absolutely everything. It was only when I was older that I realized that not all kids received this.

[Kickaha]

One of my few really good childhood memories was driving across Stevens Pass in WA with my family. I couldn't have been more than six, my brother about three, and he was kind of terrified of the cliffs above us in the canyons. This was compounded badly when my mother, oblivious, made some crack about the "Watch for Falling Rock" warning sign. This set my brother off something fierce.

My dad, scrambling to calm the situation, said "No, no, that's not what that means... that's a request for everyone to keep an eye out for Falling Rock, a lost Indian brave..."

He started to spin the most amazing story, using road signs as the input to keep it going. Falling Rock was in love with Running Deer, but her father, the chief Crossing Bear, disapproved, so he sent the brave out to search for the legendary S-Curve Snake...

This went on all the way over the Cascades, and he just kept the story going for a couple of hours. My brother was enraptured, and forgot his fears. I just sat back and was happy.

Every since then, I have to smile every time I see a Watch for Falling Rock sign, and try to imagine that he's out there, watching me drive by.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Kickaha One of my few really good childhood memories was driving across Stevens Pass in WA with my family. I couldn't have been more than six, my brother about three, and he was kind of terrified of the cliffs above us in the canyons. This was compounded badly when my mother, oblivious, made some crack about the "Watch for Falling Rock" warning sign. This set my brother off something fierce. My dad, scrambling to calm the situation, said "No, no, that's not what that means... that's a request for everyone to keep an eye out for Falling Rock, a lost Indian brave..." He started to spin the most amazing story, using road signs as the input to keep it going. Falling Rock was in love with Running Deer, but her father, the chief Crossing Bear, disapproved, so he sent the brave out to search for the legendary S-Curve Snake...

Dang. I got a similar story from my dad when I was a kid when went through the Appalachians (grandparents on either side of the family had houses in Boone, NC and Newland, NC). That Falling Rock guy sure got around!

[RowdyScot]

Probably allowing me to play hockey. For all the awful that came from them (think the same CYTC thing 709 mentioned), they paid the exorbitant cost for me to play the sport I love. I don't think I'd have the quality of life I do without it.

[kieran]

The greatest thing my parents have done is to force me to do things on my own.

From a very young age, I've been doing things on my own. (probably because I'm smarter than them. :-) )

It's made things difficult in skme instances, but I'm extremely grateful that I was not coddled like it seems many of my generation and the one behind me have been.

[Yontsey]

I grew up with my grandparents and my grandpa has been a very successful business owner and investor, but along the way, he taught me to be very hands on with things like that. Looking at my grandfather, you would never know that he has been successful because he grew up poor in the southeastern part of Kentucky in the coal mine area learning to work and was a military man.

When I got to college, most of my classes seemed very trivial to me and allowed me to have great discussions with my professors from different, more realistic point of view. It also taught me how to be a solid investor in the stock market and the such which helped me pay off my house.

I grew up working and learning how to work, but he also rewarded me. My college was paid for, he paid for a trip to Europe for 3 weeks, and I have been fortunate to go to countless sporting events around the world such as the Olympics, SEC college basketball tournaments, college football games, and others.

Everyday I wake up thankful and never take anything for granted. I now help him run his shop and it has made us closer then ever and gives me the drive to work and be successful. He laid the foundation for me to be a man and a humble, yet successful adult and for that I will never be able to repay him.

[Windswept]

I like this thread. It is so nice to read about the gratitude that people feel for what has been done for them in life, gratitude for things large and small.

I think the dinosaur paintings are wonderful, so beautifully done and such an incredible treat for a young kid.

Oh, and Kickaha, shouldn't that be "Chief Bear Crossing" instead of "Chief Crossing Bear?" Just a guess. What a cool story for a father to dream up. I can see that that would be a delightful memory.

I have long been so grateful that my parents paid my way through college, so that I could study and not have to worry about having a part-time job that would sap my valuable time. And they paid for me to live in the sorority house where the food was wonderful and I had some great sorority sisters to live with.

I did study very hard, was in the honors program and graduated with a 3.8, so I made good use of the time my parents afforded me by paying for everything. I had almost no spending money though, so I learned to cut my hair myself, a short cut with layers, so rather involved. Later, I was able to cut my mom's hair with the same type of cut, and she said I did it better than any stylist. I was so glad to be able to do this for her, especially when she became ill.

My dad was always there for me when I needed help. I thought I heard someone walking up my stairs one night, and it occurred to me that I didn't have anything to throw at an intruder, except for throwing the cat maybe. So for Christmas, my dad got me a .38 police special to keep me safe. I have felt much safer with that gun around, in the house, and especially when traveling. I would never have gotten it for myself, but he thought I should have it. I so miss having my parents around to ask for advice.

[_Ω_]

Originally Posted by Windswept I like this thread. It is so nice to read about the gratitude that people feel for what has been done for them in life, gratitude for things large and small. I think the dinosaur paintings are wonderful, so beautifully done and such an incredible treat for a young kid ..... My dad was always there for me when I needed help. I thought I heard someone walking up my stairs one night, and it occurred to me that I didn't have anything to throw at an intruder, except for throwing the cat maybe. So for Christmas, my dad got me a .38 police special to keep me safe. I have felt much safer with that gun around, in the house, and especially when traveling. I would never have gotten it for myself, but he thought I should have it. I so miss having my parents around to ask for advice.

Not wanting to thread crap BUT honestly? A gun ranks high on your best gifts list? Given current events I think that is sad and I am thankful I don't live anywhere where you feel the need to have to carry a firearm.

I thank my parents for instilling morals, and to treat people in a manner that I would like to be treated myself.

/ soap box

[Dorian Gray]

Like Chinney, I can't think of a particular moment that stands out. My parents were just there, without drama and without excess, but with seemingly endless love, support, and patience for me and my three younger siblings. I didn't appreciate how special that was while growing up, and I spent my late teens being pointlessly antagonistic towards them, but I've since realised how lucky I was.

One of the best things my parents did was surround me with books. They didn't cart a load of books into the living room one day, so it wasn't "one shining moment," but it probably did me more good than a dinosaur painting or a handgun would have. (But I'm not 709 or Windswept.)

[bassplayinMacFiend]

They moved to a 9 hour drive away.