Life today for parents can be a rat race between work,
school, church, and community activities. Individuals can loose track of the
importance of the family and the opportunities that parenting provides. Many
young people are choosing not to marry or have children because of the
responsibilities involved. That’s where grandparents or aunts and uncles can be
helpful if they live close enough to support family values that could be lost
in our modern society. Some grandparents do fill their retirement days with a
new rat race running from activities to appointments mostly medical. It’s too
easy no matter your age or responsibilities to put family as a low priority.
It
would be an ideal world if every
family was loving and supportive. Unfortunately that doesn’t always happen as
death, divorce, abuse and other factors play a role in how nurturing your
childhood and growing up was. As an only child raised by a widowed mom (she was
raised by a widowed mom also), my goal was always to have an intact HAPPY
family with lots of kids and a loving father in the home, but unfortunately
that got derailed when divorce introduced itself to my dreams after my
marriage.
Recently
a friend of mine shared with me that her childhood lacked loving, caring
parents. School teachers
encouraged and praised her abilities, an aunt loved her unconditionally and a
family friend created many happy memories from the times they spent together.
When this special family friend died, Donna wrote a memorial poem about him as
one way to handle the grief she felt.
Here’s that poem:
A FRIEND THEN, A FRIEND STILL by Donna
It
was 1950 when they met,
a man twenty three, her a child yet.
This guy who
might have been partying, having fun
chose to befriend a child quite young.
She needed someone who would listen and praise,
he took the time to
brighten her days.
Many moves later, he never lost touch
with this young
person who missed him so much.
He settled down, married and had his own child
but always wrote notes that filled her with smiles.
When she thinks of
Gary, she thinks of him thus
a man you could count on, a man you could trust.
A man who was loving even across miles
always remembered by Donna, his pal.
When the year 2002, began
his beautiful life came to an end.
But her
heart and soul will always contain
sweet memories of Gary, her forever
friend.
NEXT TIME: Friends and Family. Would love to add your short stories here-leave them in a comment.
