i think they both worked hard. i always appreciated that. i have respect for anyone that puts effort into their work, regardless of the task. i also never want to have to work so hard physically as i saw the wear it put on them.

my dad enjoyed life a lot. thats something i strive towards but fall short on due to being so introverted. his love for music definitely passed on to me. especially live music.

moms is more of a hang your head and get through things type. no matter the situation she would fight through and put that smile on. she had to deal with a lot. im far from perfect but the respect i try to show women comes from seeing her have to deal with the lack of it. she sacrificed so much for her family, always putting us all before herself. a lot of people describe me as selfless, that definitely comes from her.

they both found humor in any situation, that stuck with me.

they were very hands off as far as rules go. i dont ever remember a dont do drugs or drink speech. i always got the impression they didnt want us to but they werent going to force us to stay away. for the most part my siblings and i have lived a clean life. we did have to watch them both deal with lack of control so that probably had an impact on us.

they always encouraged my creativity and interests.

i dont know if they could had done something to help me from being so socially awkward. it would had been nice to not have to move around every year or so.

i think i maybe could had used more discipline. i was never much trouble but maybe having a stricter chore schedule would had benefited me.

better money management would had been great.

i think they did the best they could. i did have some resentment for my dad around graduating from high school but it didnt last long. i think we would have good convos when i was in college and he was always encouraging.