No Job Joy #12 My Dad

You know how they say that you don't appreciate your parents until you are older. This is one of those times. When I got laid off I was on a business trip but my parents were visiting us. When I got home my parents were there for a few days. Kind of uncomfortable because everyone wants to look successful and like we don't need our parents any more.

So we hung out for a few more days until it was time for them to go home. As they left my Dad some thing that stuck with me but I didn't realize why at the time. He said " I know you will do what you have to do if things get tough."

Now is when I go all psycho analytical. Initially I was hurt and saw this as him not having faith in me to get another good job and that I would have to settle for something less than what I had or want moving forward.

Looking at it now what he was really saying is that he knew that the years of physical labor on the farm combined with the education he and my Mom had encouraged me to get would prepare us for what ever came to be. If we had to live more frugally we could. If I had to take something just to get income he knew I would.

What he was really saying is that his job with me was done and that he felt he had done what he could do to prepare me to survive in good times and bad and that at some level he was acknowledging that I would be okay with out his help. This is important to me as I was the child voted least likely to succeed by my family. They aren't cruel about it but was just kind of one of those known things. Although I was a hard worker, I have to admit I gave them plenty of reasons to think that. I had the lowest grades. I was okay at a lot of things but didn't excel at anything.

Sorry this post is getting a bit long but the challenge of being with out a job right now has provided me with the perspective to appreciate what my father taught me and to realize that he knows he taught me what he needed to. So today I am joyful for my Dad.