now that they have their own kids and you get to spoil your grandkids when they are with you, do you honestly tell yourself… “well, it was all worth IT!”

IT meaning: the sleepless, physically draining nights when they were babies. the nonstop running around when they were toddlers. the chauffeuring, educating, listening to whining preschool and school age era. the deadly teenage rage and silence. the early adult confusions and scary choices. the adult issues of dealing with broken hearts and failures.

AND, the endless, constant fear in your heart that they will be hurt, harmed or killed by somebody.

PLUS, the lifetime of worries about them not being able to cope with what the real world can throw at them.

is IT all worth it? do you look at your kids, now all grown up adults with their own lives, and you actually say, with all honesty from your heart that all that you have done and tried to do as a parent is all worth it.

i ask this not because i do not love my kids, but because there are times when i look at them and i question my role in raising them up. if i am failing the very simple task of teaching my kids how to say “thank you” and “please”, what good have i done?

there are things that are way more serious than that, but if i fail the simplest of tasks, do i still have the authority to teach them the more complicated, grown up stuff?

well, i’m just curious. whether you are a grandparent or a parent who has some thoughts on this,  please share when you get a chance. and when you celebrate this thanksgiving, be thankful if your kids are thankful.

since it is thanksgiving, i’d like to say THANK YOU to all who drop by here, you have no idea how i appreciate it. a virtual family is what you are to me. happy thanksgiving to those who are celebrating! i’ll be working, so i hope you all have a good one. enjoy your turkey while i enjoy the hospital’s free dinner :)

also, cross your fingers with me, so that this coming thanksgiving shift will not be like this one.