Reanimation of Family Values

When I was growing up, I was a very timid and quiet kid. I usually stayed to myself or in a sketchbook, being the artsy little kid. My parents were an amazing foundation for most of my quirks and ethnic background. I can work on any project with minimal difficulty, I can fix broken and other types of dilemmas with a toolbox or some words. All because my parents valued the way their children would grow to become independent individuals and not wind up in a cemetery before they do.

I am not one to lie(although I used to when I was a kid), when I was growing up, our family had rough patches and highs just like everyone else, but I grew up to realize some of the ways I grew up were not as normal as I thought it was. I had an awakening when I joined the United States Air Force at the age of 19 due to my hometown gaining traction on becoming one of the worst towns in my memory. I lost touch with my family once I joined, and could only visit once or twice due to my station and job. It was always hard to get there, have some great times, then have to leave it and risk not seeing them for another 6 months to even a year and then some.

My parents were worried about me and my siblings would either become one of the delinquents of our town, or one of the new faces on an obituary, so they told us since we could walk to not become like anyone else in town and to make something of ourselves. No parent wants their children to fail without lessons learned and to get back up, so they shaped us into efficient, self reliable go-getters, even still with our individualistic minds to dream and build a path for ourselves.

Financially struggling and staying humble to the things we had was not new for us. Family built me the way I am today, and even for a day I wouldn't trade it. Me and my parents fell out with communication on and off while I was in the military. Mainly due to the fluctuation and availability from my job, but mainly because I was just angry of how unprepared I felt for being an adult with so little tools, I felt.

When I got out of the military, my first goal was to get my own house, move my sister in with me, and go into a business I worked for myself in. But I heard my sister tell me our parents changed and were not how they used to be. I was skeptical, because again, the communication was strained, I just had to see it for myself. And it turned out: she was right. My mom worked on her anger and became less abrasive, and my father opened up a little more as well. I showed my father my house, and he told me it was cool.

That was the best praise I have ever heard from my dad. I almost cried, but the fact he said my house was cool made my entire day. I did what I said I would, for the most part being the foundation of keeping my word and putting in the work to get myself situated. Family, whether in a bad spot or not, will end up teaching a person who and what they would like to be in their life. This isn't to convince anyone of anything but as for me? Rocky family to cordial is a win for me. I love my family.