My parents had five of us, which is quite a large number even for their time. They also had a lifelong marriage that had my mom standing by my dad's side at the very end when he was plagued with a stroke that left him paralyzed for six years before he eventually died.
I absolutely loved growing up with siblings and have an even bigger appreciation for it now that we're all grown up and (three out of five) have kids of their own. It has also been quite fascinating to see just how we compare in standing with our parents.
My parents made huge sacrifices for us and it was evident despite the way they shielded us from the harsh realities of living. No doubt they weren't perfect, because no one is, but they definitely did their jobs as parents. It's quite a shame that these days a lot of parents are judged rather harshly (or accurately?) by their children on the things they didn't do, rather than what they did.
My dad wasn't one to be overly emotional but he ensured that we understood we were loved and cared with the sacrifices he and my mom made on our behalf. I recall that even during our teen and adult years when each one of us gave them a bit of trouble in our unique ways, they led with love, faith and an admirable understanding of their jobs as parents.
The only thing I do wish sometimes is that myself and my dad became friends earlier, and not just in my later years and his illness. That notwithstanding, he did his job and I could never hold that against him. No doubt his biggest achievement was having us and watching us grow. I'm sorta concerned these days about how people are opting out more and more from starting families of their own. Might just be a good topic for my next post.