{Giveaway is Closed}
Winner is #91: Anash
Sharing time with my family, especially my parents, at this time of my life is certainly sweet. I don’t take them for granted anymore and know that time is limited with them. The days will go by quickly, and the older I get and they get, I know I have to savor the moments when they come.
Paying tribute and honoring my parents is very important to me at this time of my life. I don’t plan to move very far from them at all, if I can help it, when I find another home of my own one day soon. We are bonded and we need each other.
Family is forever. I couldn’t have made it this past year without them. 
My mom’s birthday and Mother’s Day are both in May, and Father’s Day and my dad’s birthday come around in June and July. Sharing family time with them is special. My mom and I have breakfast together every morning at the table, eating cereal and sipping coffee, each reading the paper, knowing the other is there. It’s very comforting. 
My dad and I have enjoyable conversations about blogging and life. He is still my defender, my strong and capable dad, whom I’ve always looked up to.
Celebrating them and the time I have with them is very important to me right now, and I’m doing just that.
It makes me happy to see my mom smile from the bedroom and bathroom renovations we’ve been able to do these last few weeks. I’m overjoyed to do this for them, and it makes me happy that they are sharing in benefits and perks that come along. I enjoy spending time with them, getting their opinions, hearing wisdom shared day by day. So, how do we share and celebrate those people in our lives who are so important to us?
We savor and enjoy the everyday moments of life, letting them know how important they are to us.
How do you pay tribute to the people you love? Leave me a comment answering that question to be entered for a chance to win a $100 Starbucks card, courtesy of BlogHer.
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Rhoda, your post made me cry. Just lovely and so well written.
My father is 80 and in a long term nursing home. He is in the depth of Alzheimers. My Mom is 79 and has her own set of health problems but is staying strong to see after my father. I am the youngest of 5, a surprise baby. My parents had me in there 40s. I haven’t lived in the same state as my parents since going away to college as a teen. I always knew I was loved but realized how deeply once I had my own children. Something about being a parent made me appreciate my parents even more. To show my parents how much they mean to me I write long sappy letters to my Mom. Alzheimers has a tight grasp on my father. However he did have a moment of clarity the last time I visited and he told me I was a “good girl and had always been one.” That was such a gift from a man whose been lost inside himself for nearly 2 years.
Every night we sit down and have dinner together. We watch our favorites shows and have dessert. On Sunday we are in church and are now adding family devotional time reading scripture and applying to our lives . We learn how to help other people outside our home together like taking sandwiches to homeless people when we can. On weekends we do yardwork together .
I keep my mother’s memory alive by telling stories of her to my children. If we watch a movie she liked, I tell them her favorite parts, point out books she enjoyed reading, and little quirks such as constant list-making. Even though she has been gone for years, I still vividly remember conversations, certain facial expressions and how her hands looked. I still celebrate her birthday and remember her on Mother’s Day.
My husband and I each have both of our parents living. My parents just celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary a week ago! We live across the country, but take the time to call often. Most importantly, we always end the conversation with “love you”.
My husband’s love language is quality time, so that’s how I can show him how much he means to me! I pay tribute to my parents every day by trying to be the woman they raised me to be!
what a wonderful post!!
This is such a sweet post and a generous giveaway! I pay tribute to loved ones by working hard and trying to be a person they’d be proud of.
Funny this post should come now. My Dad passed away 20 years ago, but this month he would have been 100 years old. On Sunday, my brother and I are going to the church he attended with flowers and pictures of him in his memory. He loved that little church and the people there, and I know he will be smiling down on us this Sunday.
Hey Rhoda, I enjoy your blog so much and follow you almost daily. I feel like we’ve been friends forever. My Dad passed alway early (62),he had alzheimers and we were able to care for him at home. My Mom was diagnosed with Alz. a few years later and has been diagnosed over 11 years. I visit my Mom weekly and she enjoys singing (mostly listening now) all the old songs. Each week when I leave it is me who has received the biggest blessing. Some how God knows what I need to hear and she responds very clearly if only for a few seconds.She is still a Blessing in my life and to so many of the staff in her Care facility. It is my pleasure and joy to honor my Mother.
I am fortunate to have my very active, 94 year old mom living in the same town in her own place. She is young at heart and loves doing things for others which is a wonderful legacy for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Besides seeing her on a regular basis at family gatherings, church or one of our homes, I also treasure the time I can do individual things for her. She loves when I fix her hair, even though it looks fine when she does it (and I have no training) this is a perk for her and I’m happy to do it.
I celebrate my parents by not taking them for granted and including them in all parts of my life.
I treat my loved ones with small unexpected gifts or bake their favorite pies, or take them for a dinner out to show I care
https://twitter.com/#!/ElenaIstomina/status/180345862059335680
Hi! what a great blog post!
i celebrate by cooking dinner for my family every sunday night and we talk and drink wine!:) good times!
have a great day!
tweet
https://twitter.com/#!/MeandBells/status/180347159252697088
You are so lucky to still have your parents. I lost my mom 15 years ago and my dad died 17 years ago. Not a day goes by without thinking of them and missing their homespun wisdom. I honor their spirits when I cook Mom’s dishes and commune with her when I can tomatoes. I think of Daddy when I mow the grass and always take care of my car like he showed me.
Treasure your folks and give them both a smooch for me!
I always think how lucky people are to have both of their parents living. Being a dutiful daughter I show my love for them by tending their graves. Starting in April from the bulbs I’ve planted the previous fall to the gerraniums in May to the mums in September. It’s my way to taking care of them while they wait for me in heaven.
I like to spend lots of quality one on one time with each person.
I love my parents more than they know … I love to spend the day with each one, just that quality time together is something I will always cherish !
I think I really do it most by trying to be the person my Mother raised me to be. I’ll often think how she would have handled a situation, as everybody adored her. My dad doesn’t love nearby, but we talk on the phone for hours. He’s still super busy and always learning or taking a class even at 86!
Teresa