Okay..so God gave us our parents, right?  And remember how they annoyed us when we were teenagers and maybe even a little older.   And think now about how much we must have frustrated them and saddened them as young children.  Did they really wash us for years, before we learned.  Did my mom really do hundreds of loads of laundry for us?  And yet, I hated the fact that I had to dust the multiple - spindled chairs in my parents dining room.  Would I know or want to keep my house clean now if my mom hadn’t taught me?  Was I really that disrespectful and disobedient?  Did I really not heed their advice? Is not a parents’ love of unique beauty?  Why am I so reflective you ask?  Because even with all the pain of raising me, my dear parents, still love me so much.  They support my husband and I in so many ways.  This weekend they are giving me such a tangible expression of their love and support.  They have my two oldest children…for two sleeps.  Already I am feeling relaxed and feeling that I have gotten so much accomplished.   Thank you, mom and dad, for taking care of Charlie and Janie..and for this precious gift that you have given to me.  I pray that I’ll remember this example of a parents’ love when I am a grandmother.