Thankful for My Parents
When I was 24, my parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. My sisters and I planned them a surprise party and invited their closest friends to eat and play our version of the Newlywed Game. We knew the suggested gift for 25 years was silver, so we bought them a set of china, rimmed in silver. I actually don’t remember a ton about that event, but I do remember their delight in having reached that particular milestone.
Last week, my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! Another major milestone. What a privilege to have observed their life together.
This year we didn’t throw them a party, but their various groups of friends did. It was lovely to see the pictures of them celebrated in such kind and generous ways.
My parents are two of the most generous people I know. They have demonstrated for us a spirit of generosity through every season of life. Whether they had much or little, they made it a priority to care for others in whatever way was possible. If you know them, you have surely experienced their generosity firsthand.
My parents love deeply. I have witnessed them in every neighborhood they’ve ever lived in build relationships with their neighbors. They look out for people. They carry the stories of others with compassion and hold them in prayer. If you know them, you’ve surely received a handwritten card celebrating your birthday, anniversary, a new baby, the loss of a loved one, or any number of other occasions.
My parents serve faithfully. From the time I was a little girl, I have watched my parents find ways to serve in the local community. They have always served the local church in some capacity. They have served meals in hospice communities, gathered school supplies for teachers, made costumes and built sets for community events, and so much more. Currently, they have a house full of shoeboxes ready to send to kids at Christmas, and they coordinate a group of volunteers who meet each week to prep the preschool classes for Sunday morning.
I could go on and on about my parents. I am deeply thankful for the gift of being in their family. My parents met Jesus when I was four years old, and Jesus changed their lives.
They’ve told us so many stories over the years of how Jesus has been their friend, and they’ve demonstrated for us over and over again what it looks like to love others like Jesus day in and day out.
Their steadfast faithfulness through the years has been an anchor to so many. They have weathered the storms that have come their way. They have celebrated and grieved together. And they have lived the ordinary days of raising children, working, graduations, weddings, grand babies, retirement, and so much more with humility and abandon.
I hope we all have an opportunity to experience the kind of friendship and love that my parents easily offer to so many. I hope that we also have the opportunity to offer friendship and love with the same abandon to our neighbors, families, and communities. May the light of Jesus be found shining through each of us in both ordinary and extraordinary ways.
~ Melissa