Parents.

There is no doubt that parents play a big role in our lives.
Where they are existent in their lives or not, they have at one stage played an important role, even if just in thoughts.

For me,
I have the most beautiful parents.

My parents have had a very traumatic past, with many fights & questioning their own marriage.
Through shift work, having 3 kids, 2 jobs my mum worked to get us through private school.
They definitely did their best, and lately they ARE their best,
Nearing 60 and they are the happiest couple I've ever met because they challenged each other & worked through their issues, because hey who doesn't have issues after being together since they were 15 & 17!

They are now grandparents, and wow the different in their hearts, the happiness I see in their eyes and their smiles is just overwhelming for me.

I am one of the kids who had parents who fought almost constantly in my childhood, especially Mum.
I remember them fighting over bills at night when I was trying to sleep & there's NO doubt before we went ANYWHERE on the weekend there would be a fight. It was hard to deal with as a child & my first poem I ever wrote was regarding the fights I could hear at night.
My bedroom was off the kitchen, lucky me.

It's so funny how different we remember things.
I just asked Mum why I was in that bedroom, as I couldn't remember and she told me I had a choice, I either get the big bedroom or my wardrobe in the smaller bedroom,  and I chose my wardrobe!! I didn't remember that at all!

Our childhood was a loving time and to be honest I remember more happy memories than sad ones, and I was never scared of my parents.
But I saw them get really angry, especially Mum and sometimes that was full on.

But we have all grown up.
and now I have a baby, who is 1 in 4 weeks.
I am 30 in 4 weeks,

and life is now so different.

My mum and dad are two of the closest people in my life.

They are both different to the parents they had, my dads parents being very emotionally closed, and my mums parents being loving but closed off at times too.
Whereas my parents are just open ALL the time.
It's very refreshing.

We talk about EVERYTHING & there never has been limits.
At the kitchen table talking about everything from homosexuality to sex to drugs to anything else that might frighten parents, not mine. My dad being in forensics/crime scene in the police force KNEW what life was about, and my mother was living in a reality that was a little paranoid but just being a mother & protective for a reason.
My grandma was a bit shocked at the concept of the things we talked about, but after one of my homosexual friends stayed with us for a few months, we were at the point where before she met Barry she was quite religious and mostly against the idea of homosexuality, found him very charming and energetic and thought he was a 'lovely boy'.
Oh my things change.

My grandma was what these days would be labelled as a 'gentle parent'. She just loved, she loved everyone, she took those into her house who needed a hand, a meal, a hug. She was just the most beautiful soul I've ever had pleasure having in my life.

My Mum is the same person. She is 1000% loving, she will give and care and just be honest & if I need her I can call her and vent & she never judges me and just gives her bit of advice.

The best part of our life as their children & grandchildren has been laughter.
Laughter & sense of humour is a huge part of our life & without it, we would not be the family we are.
When we get together it's just the best fun ever.

Parents are over this weekend, it has been so much fun.
They adore Lily, they adore Kane & they live in our house, they help us clean, they love us, they have fun with us, we feed them & all is merry.

Without them, I would be a boring lifeless person.
They have made me the fiesty, confident, communicative woman I am today.

& I chose them before I even met them, I must have known.