As the dog barks her head off in the sun room, I'll try to ignore her and type.  This is when I wonder why I have 4 dogs.  I love them dearly but seriously why can't she understand that she needs to be quiet and lay down because I am busy.  It's nice outside.  GO LAY DOWN!!!!

O.k, she's settled down so I'll continue my little tale that I started yesterday.

My mom and dad met when they were seniors in high school and were married when mom was 18 and dad 19.  My sister arrived a few months later on Christmas Eve of 1969.  I arrived in June of 1972.  My parents were growing up too as they were raising us.  I'm sure it was difficult for them, as they struggled with raising two children on my dad's grocery store clerk wages.  They did without a lot of things.  It's so much different in this day and age when everyone expects to have it all.  They accepted that they weren't going to have it all and that's just the way it was.  
My dad started working as a grocery store bag boy when he was 18. He wanted to be a science teacher and he would have been an awesome teacher.  I know that because he has
 always been patient, understanding teacher to me.  He taught me how to drive a stick shift.  If you've ever learned to drive a stick shift then you know the frustration.  I was determined to learn in one session because I wanted to drive the car to see my boyfriend the next day.  At one point during our lesson I yelled, I cried, I got out of the car and slammed the door.  The car wouldn't do what I wanted it to.  I couldn't get the shifting and pushing the clutch and gas all coordinated I would think I was doing everything right then the car would jump and then stall.  I just couldn't get the hang of it and I was so frustrated. My dad might have been too (I know if I was the parent I would have been). But he didn't yell at me, he kept teaching me and I did learn that night.  His dream of being a teacher was derailed when my mom got pregnant and they then got married.  He never mentioned that he regretted having to give up his aspirations.  Who can go through the frustrations of raising kids and never mention in anger that you gave up so much for them?  My dad never did that.  He never made us feel like we were his second choice.  

My dad started out bagging groceries, then he worked in a factory and would cry at night because he hated it so much (I only know that because my mom told me when I was a teenager so that I would understand the sacrifice my dad made to provide for us), then he went back to working in a grocery store.  He worked his way up to assistant manager and then manager.   You've been at a grocery store the day before Christmas or even two days before and seen how busy it is.  He would never get holidays off.  He would come home on Christmas Eve after dealing with crazy busy days and then have to have the energy to be there for his family to celebrate the holiday.  He never slept in or complained.  He was (and still is) an amazing role model who has shown me what hard work is.  Some days I wish he hadn't taught me to be so responsible because it would be nice to call into work without feeling guilty that because I'm still breathing I should be at work not at home resting.  Thanks Dad, my employers appreciate how well you raised me.