What Did Your Parents Give You?

[allenlondon]

Materially, almost nothing. They had very little, and were quite happy with it.

I couldn’t live up to their honesty and integrity, although in later life I’ve tried.

Mum gave us a small rose bush, which she claimed had come from her mother’s house in Kilburn in the 1880s. One of her stories, we thought, until years later looking at that house on Google Maps, we were delighted to see the tiny front garden a riot of roses - pink, just like the one which still blooms in our patch.

So much joy in small things.

[-SharonA-]

My parents gave me a brilliant childhood, full of love, family moments and wisdom.

[Peter Pedant]

tolerance
and a fantabulous memory ( rather blunted by chemo)
tolerance again
oh when I see authority wanting to kick it - not that helpful I admit

andie - how not to be a parent - yeah I had a retired work colleague - who taught me: think what X or Jarn wd do - well you can be sure that is ABSOLUTELY the worst of all choices.

I was pretty shocked when it was still working after 20 y

[david small]

Don’t let the ******** grind you down. Never volunteer.
You can be anything that you wanted to be..erroneous.

[jno]

my high standards, deep learning and breadth of understanding. Also humility.

[Peter Pedant]

value of education, I think - never pass up a free lecture by someone passionate about about his subject

[Peter Pedant]

o god my father came out of POW camp and said he had learnt - - never to volunteer - oo-er Mrs ! he did not have a 'good war'

[Prudie]

oo-er didn't anyone get bad stuff from their parents? My mother was the ultimate bourgeois snob and some of that has rubbed off on me. My father left when I was 10 so gave me a broken home upbringing - although he did leave me a nice wad in his will. Would have been a lot more if I didn't have to share it equally with the 3 stepchildren he took on with the woman he left my mother for.

[retrocop]

Unpleasant memories.

[sanmac]

My parents would always give me my school-lunch wrapped up in a road-map.

[emmie]

a mother who was caring, kind, and gave us children lots of love
dad was a waster who was abusive, horrible and unkind
i like to think that i have taken on my mothers attributes

[tamborine]

security, love, guidance, protection & support. My dad the pianist/guitarist & electronic fiend, obsessed on Jack de manio (?) every morning with speakers throughout our home incl toilets, followed by his jazz band tapes & rehearsals. Mum pianist, band vocalist, teacher & dressmaker Army life was music & CSE concerts.

[10ClarionSt]

This is David Gates' tribute to his father after he'd passed away. How many of you feel the same?

[iluvmargie]

Me, for one.

[dannyk13]

Not a lot, apart from my dad teaching me how to play billiards.

[allenlondon]

That 'passed away' comment reminded me of something else my long-dead parents gave me: to avoid euphemisms. As me mum pointed out, dead was dead, passing was what you did with water or exams. (And they were both products of the end of the Victorian era...)

[bednobs]

A love of books/stories