Reflection #5

 So when it came to this reflection I cheated a little bit. I decided to have this talk with my dad. Now before you judge me for cheating, let me explain to you the relationship my dad and I have. Giving some insight on how my family works may allow you to understand why I believe this conversation was both successful and necessary.

My parents have been married twenty three years. How they have done it, I have no idea. They have been to hell and back during their marriage. Whether it was trouble with bills, or raising two kids, they have seemed to come out on top. My parents goal in life was to give their kids a better life than they had. Trust me, they have completed this goal and have gone above and beyond. In order to do this, both my parents have had full-time jobs. My dad drives an hour and half to work everyday and then an hour and a half home when the day is done. Because of this, we have not had the strongest relationship. My mom was the taxi driver for us when we were kids. She went to every sports event, every play, every concert. If Dad couldn't go, I wasn't surprised. Growing up, I didn't understand why Dad couldn't be at everything, but now, at the age of twenty I get it.

In case you haven't heard me bitching in class about my car situation, here it is. Three weeks ago it was so cold that I couldn’t even unlock my car. Finally when the lock unthawed, the car wouldn't start. My mom was supposed to come down that weekend anyway, but she brought my dad with her too. This was the first time my dad has been down to Monmouth since I moved in freshman year. Dad came with a new battery and the tools to change it. I was more than grateful. My car worked again and I didn't have to worry about borrowing someone else's car to get to work. Last Saturday, on my way home form work, my headlights went out. I called my mom and arranged to come home the following Saturday in order to get them fixed. This plan would work perfectly, until all four of my tires were slashed. My dad took off a day of work to come down on Wednesday in order to set me up with new tires. When, I went home this weekend, he battled with my car for a total of nine hours in order to fix my headlights. Because of him I now have a functioning car.

Yesterday when he was working in the garage, I decided to go out there and see how the progress was coming. He said he has gotten real close to no where. We began talking about the passed week and the crap that has hit the fan lately. This is when I told him how grateful I was to have him. I let him know that although I might not seem so thankful, that I really am. I appreciate everything that he has done and he has dropped the things he needed to do to help me out. This is something that I know his parents would have never done.

After having this conversation with my dad, he thanked me and happily got back to work on my car. It felt really great to tell him how I felt because it is something that I have never done. Earlier today, I got a call from him. He just wanted to know how the drive went. He asked if the headlights worked still. He also told me that the dipstick to my transmission fluid was broken and that he ordered one to be sent to the O'Reilly's here in Monmouth. This is something that did not have to be done, but my dad did it anyway, just to make sure I was safe.

Throughout growing up, my parents have no longer been annoying or pushy. They have been my saviors. Although my family doesn't express it very often, we would be no where without each other.