Tidbits of my life

If you had to pinpoint three main values that your parents lived by and tried to instill in you, what would they be?

There are many things that my parents taught by example, good and bad. The first thing is, when I was growing up, “Little House on the Prairie” was a popular TV series. I remember feeling like Laura Ingalls and my father being Charles Ingalls. My dad was not perfect but I do remember how he liked and accepted everyone the same way Charles Ingalls did. He and my mother seemed to welcome all my friends and my brother's friends. They had their favorites and saw through some of the friends that were “fake friends” and not very kind to us as well.

My mother tried to teach us how important it was to save money and not spend frivolously. Even though I watched her try to make up for my dad’s financial weaknesses and temptations, I didn’t understand that much until I got married and had to pay attention to my own finances. Finances should be a joint effort in a marriage and MUST be discussed and agreed upon. I also learned that a budget and living by a budget is crucial in a marriage and in life in general.

The third thing was to support one another as a family. I remember going to each other’s ball games, practices and whatever else we were involved in. We may not have sat and watched everything, but we did go to the parks with each other. I remember one time that my brother played little league football and I was a cheerleader. My mom made my cheer leading outfit, that I still have. Other times my mother helped coach my softball team and taught me how to pitch. Even though my dad couldn't run very well with his half foot, he always encouraged us to get involved and he cheered us on! He even cheered my mother on when she played softball.