33 Blessings - #1 My Parents

For an explanation of this series, please read this.

I really struggled with the order of these blessings. I knew that there was no way that I could put them in order of importance or impact on my life; there are just too many important ones. So I decided on a rough chronological order. So today we begin with the people that brought me into this world - My parents.

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home where my parents loved me and loved the Lord. They were (and are) a constant source of love and support. They have been married for 37 years now and have two daughters, two sons-in-law, and three grandgirls (as my dad calls them). They are both social workers, though dad is "retired" now. He enjoys wood-working and gardening and keeps us supplied with fresh produce all summer long. My mom, after years of doing often court mandated chemical dependency counseling, is now an independent counselor enjoying a variety of voluntary clients. I am so grateful for them and the influence they have had on my life.

My parents on their wedding day - August 4, 1973

My family in 1984. My mom was 32 (same age as I am now) and I was 7 (the same age Sierra is now).

 

My parents a few years ago

  

The bead that will represent my parents:

Sometimes the bead's color or composition will represent something about the person or experience, and sometimes not. This time I chose a pink bead because it is my mom's favorite color.