30 day blog challenge - day 15
Well, I have officially made it to the halfway point in my self-imposed 30 day blog challenge. Go me!
I do have to say that posting fresh content every day either here or on my writing blog has been a good thing for me. I have been attracting more readers and more web traffic. So thank you for reading!!
A friend of mine is now doing a similar writing/blogging challenge and posted some prompts today for the other participants. I decided to get a little personal (something I don't normally do on my blog here) and write a post today answering one of my friend's prompt questions:
What positive, useful thing did you learn from your parent(s)/caretaker(s)?
Me, my parents, my brothers, and my younger brother's girlfriend at Christmas
My family is pretty close. When I hear about some of my friends who talk to their parents or siblings "every now and then," I realize just how close we are. We all speak on a regular basis--my parents and my two brothers--and I see them at least once a week. (They were kind enough to let me and my cats crash on the couch during the current Atlanta "snowmageddon" we are having because the space heaters in my bohemian apartment just don't cut it when it gets below 30 degrees. So I am actually writing this blog post from their dining room table.)
What positive, useful thing have I learned from my parents?
Well, there are really too many to list, but I will discuss three of the most important things.
My parents taught me to always go for my dreams.
When I was a kid, my parents encouraged both me and my brothers to participate in different types of activities, and they gave us multiple opportunities to do so. Once we each zoned in on our unique interests, though, they allowed us to pursue them freely. They gave me the opportunity to take dance classes, participate in theatre, sing with in the choir at church and the school chorus, etc. And they came to every dance recital, every chorus performance, and basically everything I ever did. (This trend has continued to this day, even when my band was playing in dive bars like Lenny's or I was in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in Augusta, Georgia, which is roughly four hours away.) When I told them I wanted to be an English major in college and when I told them I wanted to go to grad school to get an MFA in creative writing, they encouraged me and supported me. They believe in me as a writer, and they have given me countless opportunities that have made me the artist that I am today.
My parents gave me a love for the arts.
My parents are as obsessive and geeky about books/movies/TV shows/music/etc. as I am. They have always been this way, and that's obviously where I get it from. Sometimes, we obsess over the same things (like when we all geek out and watch a million episodes of Game of Thrones in a row). Sometimes, we obsess over different things. But my dad will listen to the same song over and over again on repeat because he loves it so much, and my mom has re-read the same books over and over again because she loves them so much. My obsessive geekiness is a huge part of who I am, and I either inherited or learned that from my parents. (Maybe a little of both.)
My parents taught me how to love.
We are all vastly different people in my family, but we all appreciate and respect each other as individuals. We can always be open and honest about our thoughts and opinions and what's going on in our lives, and we still love each other. I think I am a caring and loving person, and there is no doubt that that comes from my parents. My parents have been together for 34 years, and they gave me a great example of love to look up to. My parents are the most selfless and loving people that I know, and there is nothing they wouldn't do for their friends and family.
Not only have I learned many positive and useful things from my parents, but I am incredibly grateful to have such wonderful parents and to be part of such a great family.
Well, I have officially made it to the halfway point in my self-imposed 30 day blog challenge. Go me!
I do have to say that posting fresh content every day either here or on my writing blog has been a good thing for me. I have been attracting more readers and more web traffic. So thank you for reading!!
A friend of mine is now doing a similar writing/blogging challenge and posted some prompts today for the other participants. I decided to get a little personal (something I don't normally do on my blog here) and write a post today answering one of my friend's prompt questions:
What positive, useful thing did you learn from your parent(s)/caretaker(s)?
Me, my parents, my brothers, and my younger brother's girlfriend at ChristmasMy family is pretty close. When I hear about some of my friends who talk to their parents or siblings "every now and then," I realize just how close we are. We all speak on a regular basis--my parents and my two brothers--and I see them at least once a week. (They were kind enough to let me and my cats crash on the couch during the current Atlanta "snowmageddon" we are having because the space heaters in my bohemian apartment just don't cut it when it gets below 30 degrees. So I am actually writing this blog post from their dining room table.)
What positive, useful thing have I learned from my parents?
Well, there are really too many to list, but I will discuss three of the most important things.
My parents taught me to always go for my dreams.
When I was a kid, my parents encouraged both me and my brothers to participate in different types of activities, and they gave us multiple opportunities to do so. Once we each zoned in on our unique interests, though, they allowed us to pursue them freely. They gave me the opportunity to take dance classes, participate in theatre, sing with in the choir at church and the school chorus, etc. And they came to every dance recital, every chorus performance, and basically everything I ever did. (This trend has continued to this day, even when my band was playing in dive bars like Lenny's or I was in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in Augusta, Georgia, which is roughly four hours away.) When I told them I wanted to be an English major in college and when I told them I wanted to go to grad school to get an MFA in creative writing, they encouraged me and supported me. They believe in me as a writer, and they have given me countless opportunities that have made me the artist that I am today.
My parents gave me a love for the arts.
My parents are as obsessive and geeky about books/movies/TV shows/music/etc. as I am. They have always been this way, and that's obviously where I get it from. Sometimes, we obsess over the same things (like when we all geek out and watch a million episodes of Game of Thrones in a row). Sometimes, we obsess over different things. But my dad will listen to the same song over and over again on repeat because he loves it so much, and my mom has re-read the same books over and over again because she loves them so much. My obsessive geekiness is a huge part of who I am, and I either inherited or learned that from my parents. (Maybe a little of both.)
My parents taught me how to love.
We are all vastly different people in my family, but we all appreciate and respect each other as individuals. We can always be open and honest about our thoughts and opinions and what's going on in our lives, and we still love each other. I think I am a caring and loving person, and there is no doubt that that comes from my parents. My parents have been together for 34 years, and they gave me a great example of love to look up to. My parents are the most selfless and loving people that I know, and there is nothing they wouldn't do for their friends and family.
Not only have I learned many positive and useful things from my parents, but I am incredibly grateful to have such wonderful parents and to be part of such a great family.