Raising Good People
Don’t worry this isn’t a post about what a great job we did raising our kid. It’s more about how they raised us, and turned out good in spite of it.
We had kids young. I was 20 when I had my son, and my daughter 3 years later. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. I'm not sure anyone really does, but we really didn’t. We didn’t have two dimes to rub together, and were naïve enough to think it would all work out. They forced us to grow up quick, and I don’t think I would have changed any of it.
Tonight as I was looking through my daughters engagement pictures I realized somehow we pulled it off. They survived, so did we, and they are good people.
It wasn’t without a fight, and some bad decisions, but never any regrets. Our parenting style was figuring it out on the fly, and pray it all works out.
There was a lot of worry, stress, sleepless nights, second guessing, mistakes, and gray hair. There were a few trips to the ER, and poison control on my speed dial. A couple of wrecked cars, and a few teachers that had me on speed dial. We always had a house full of kids, ours and all their friends. We had a lot of laughs and just as many fights.
I remember thinking when my daughter graduated high school. Ok! my kids are raised, I’m done...
Turns out that's not the end of it. I’m not sure you ever clock out as a parent. I know my kids wish I would. And now that they have both found amazing people to share their life with, I’m happy to cut back to “as needed.” As long as they agree to a no return policy.
I think one of the keys to our survival was all the family we had nearby. Our kids had grandparents, aunts uncles and cousins they could go to if needed, and so did we. We always had an us verses them mentality. We knew if we split up our team, that none of us would win.
The other key to survival for all of us was this ranch. The kids had space to roam and there was always work to be done. They grew up working with us everyday. They had responsibilities and we had good help. I thought when they left they would never want to come back, but neither one of them could wait to get back here. That’s the thing about this lifestyle it seems to get in your blood.
After all of it, I think they taught us just as much as we taught them, and there is nothing like watching your kids turn into good people. By many standards we did a lot of things wrong, but I guess the proof is in the outcome and I am proud of the outcome. Not only that, they both found good people. Watching Lane get married last spring to such an amazing girl, and now Liz this fall, we are so fortunate.
Who knows what the future will bring, but I am gonna take a minute to be thankful for where we are right now. We all survived it so far, and we still like each other. There is going to be a beautiful wedding this fall, and hopefully someday there will be some grandkids.
I can’t wait to sit back and watch my kids raise kids.
