Who Am I? Day 1

Let's start with an easy answer.  I am Laura Lee, daughter of John and Betty.  I am that.  I am a daughter.  I was born into a loving family.  I was raised in that loving family.  Sadly, almost twenty years ago, I lost my mother.  I felt like she was not only my mother but my best friend.  My world was torn apart.  Through the experience of losing her and the time since I have gotten a better relationship with my dad.  

Daddy worked hard when I was growing up.  He worked so hard that there was much of the time growing up when I didn't get to see him because he was on the road for his job, or he was in the field, or helping a neighbor or friend.  He was raised believing that hard work makes a man.  To sit, makes you less than what you can be.  He stayed busy.  MFA kept him busy.  When he was home, I would often ask too many questions about something that he was doing and he would get mad.  That's me I question everything.  I probably have a question about the questions you are asking right now.  I understand his frustration now though, being a mom there are times when Hunter's questions drive me absolutely crazy, but I know he is learning.  I learned a lot from my daddy.  Hard work and resilience are two of the biggest.  I am able to work hard and I am able to keep working hard no matter what obstacles are put in my way because of him, because of what he taught me.  Daddy also taught me discipline.  I remember many times when the belt was threatened or even used.  It taught me to be a better person.

Mom, where do you start.  She taught me to love, to be patient, and in her words "Not to be a jackass in front of company."  Now she didn't curse much, but I knew she meant business when she did.  She was my biggest critic but my best friend.  I wanted to be a better person because she was.  I wanted to be just like her.  She strived and worked to be a teacher.  She worked as hard if not harder than my daddy.  She was the center of our family.  Everyone revolved around her.  Losing her at only 20 years old was beyond anything that I ever could ever had imagined.  She was loved by many and that was easy to see when trying to attend her visitation or the funeral.  In the midst of a major cold snap people stood in line for hours, they gathered with the family at the gravesite, and they loved each of us almost as much as they loved her.

I write this post because of who I am.  I am a daughter.  Now, what does that mean at this age?  What does a daughter really do when she is 40?  Well, this daughter coordinates dad's medical care, she checks that he has all his medications and travels at least once every 2 weeks (even with my demanding schedule) to ensure that his medications for the next 2 weeks are laid out.  This daughter helps coordinate his meals.  Even though through the school year these appear in freezer meals or in the form of my aunt cooking dinner for him and my uncle.  It also appears by my brother or neice bringing him a meal.  Dad hasn't cooked much since momma died, especially since his heart attack.  I will continue to do as much for my daddy as he needs.  There's not a whole lot I can do for my momma other than to take flowers to her grave and continue to share stories of her and her childhood with my son and all her grandchildren.  The stories of her and her horses have calmed most of them to bed.

I am who I am because of my parents.