Parents and Children

Spawned by time spent today with my parents and my son...

It's great being this age where you have the perspective of being a parent and a child. Especially when your folks are in great health and vital people and your children are fun adults to be around.

As the kid, I hear the folks voicing their concerns about this or that, questioning how the kids are doing, how work is going, how Wally is doing, when I'm going to write down the details of my upcoming vacation and so on. They hunger for the details about Laura's new job, Joe's work, what he's doing to his car now, how the dog is doing, and anything else they can think of to induce conversation and keep me around a bit longer. Then, they spoil me by sending me home with fresh sweet corn and other goodies. Gotta love parents.

As the parent, I pass that culture on. I chat my daughter up and ask about work. Same with my son or his girlfriend. I make sure that someone has cared for the dog's needs. (Laura, you're off the hook on that one.) Then, I turn around and pack a box off to Laura or, as in the case of this evening, cook up that fresh sweet corn and slice those ripe tomatoes and take them to my son at work where he's logging some overtime. Yeah, perpetuating that spoiling thing. You just gotta love parents.

Now, I know, not all people have this kind of situation. I know a gal whose mother died yesterday and they've never had a good relationship. That happens too. Sad, but true. But for me, and my friends, this is pretty much the norm for those with living parents. I know it won't be that way for a lot longer, but for now, I'm loving it. And someday, I'll take Mom and Dad's places, Joe and Laura will take mine, and ... the next generation of Giffords/Dillinghams will be thinking...you just gotta love parents.

I advocate spoiling kids, to a degree...
It's called love.
Dawn