Proof of Happiness: Day 17

What inspires you?

Mine is more of a "Who" inspires you...  My parents.

The Story Behind It--
My parents did a pretty freakin' good job with my sister and me.  There are so many things about them that inspire me to be a hard working, devoted wife and mother, and I could not be more thankful for the life they've given me. 

Dad made sure I was on top of all my school work, kept my eyes out for the best job opportunities, and stayed on track to graduate in four years (plus a year of credentialing).  He helped with interviews, words of wisdom, car trouble, and so many more things.  How my dad handled my wedding was just the most touching thing I think he's ever done for me.  He told me how much money I could spend and then stepped back and let me do it.  He never criticized (at least not to me) and never pestered about the budget.  I think, in the end, I went about $750-$1000 over and I never heard a word.  All I heard from him was how wonderful everything turned out to be!  How much he loved the food and how the DJ just made the event and how pretty I looked.  It was so great.  My dad inspires me to be responsible, caring, and level-headed but to always remember what is really the most important thing in life: being there for and loving your family.

Mom and I had a very different relationship than many other mothers and daughters, at least the kinds of daughters I see in my classroom now.  By 5th grade I was taller than her, which changed the dynamic of our relationship a lot.  Without much choice, it became more of a friendship much earlier than it should have.  We butted heads a lot growing up because we are VERY similar in our stubbornness and heightened emotions.  Thankfully, problems were always easily resolved.  We went to our separate corners for a few hours and everything was fine again.  In high school, she was always there for me, sacrificing not only at work but also with my dad to make sure I got to see a certain boy or go to a certain place.  She fought my battles for me, and I know that was really hard on her.  As I've gotten older, we really have become much closer.  I look to her for guidance now on how to handle strong-willed men (like my dad and Graham) and how to focus on God when things get stressful.  She is an amazing woman and has worked hard throughout her life.  Just like my dad, she did what she needed to do to make sure my sister and I were well taken care of.

I want to be a parent like my parents are.  There are things that aren't perfect, which is absolutely true of any set of parents, but there is so much I gleaned from them and will make sure my children receive as they grow up.  My parents inspire me to be a strong, family-orientated person, and I hope to show them just how awesome of a job they did as time goes on.