Positive Post Tuesday

What's the best gift you've ever received? My mom gave me the gift of knowing my Dad loves me. My parents divorced when I was five, my older sister Dawn was seven. In the years that followed, we saw our dad every couple of years. Just recently I was telling a friend that if I put my mind too it, I could probably count, on two hands, how many times I saw my dad before I turned 18.

When they divorced, Mom moved us back to Wyoming, across the country from Dad, who stayed in Maryland (I think?). We didn't see dad but for every couple of years because he remarried, and lived abroad. I really mean abroad because that's where Thailand and Italy (and Iran, and Pakistan, and the Philippines, and China) are. The other side of the world. Dad would come back to the States for business and we'd go spend a week with him, wherever his business was.

But every Christmas, every birthday, we had gifts from Dad. Dad called us. Dad wrote us letters and told us he loved us. I don't remember ever doubting that Dad loved us. Our mom never spoke poorly of him, never bad mouthed him. She worked a full time job and one, two, sometimes three part time jobs to pay the bills. But she never complained that Dad didn't send enough child support, or that he was late.

As adults we learned that Mom called Dad the week before our birthdays to remind him to call us on the actual day. Love him to pieces, but he doesn't remember dates. The year I turned 19, when Mom hadn't called to remind him, he forgot my birthday. I got a card from him exactly one month late. He thinks I was born in May. ... but all that's okay because I know he loves me. It doesn't matter that he doesn't remember the date I was born. He loves me.

So, my Positive Post is about my Mom. Because she was the catalyst that always told me my Dad loved me. And he does. Forty Four years running, I've never had any doubt.

Thanks Mom!