A Parent's Thanksgiving

As we take the time to reflect on the year and the holiday season, let's include a moment to acknowledge what we are thankful for in our role as parents.

I Am Thankful...

• ".... That my children still want to play with me even though umpteen times a day I say, 'Not now. I don't have time.' "—Mother of 7-year-old son, 4-year-old son, 2-year-old daughter.


• "For all the surprise hugs and 'I love you, mommy's' that come out of seemingly nowhere and for seemingly no reason? The ones that are not followed by, 'Can I have a new bike?' The ones that must just come from the heart. What a miracle they are."—Mother of 6-year-old son, 11-year-old daughter.


• "Watching my babies grow into adults with babies of their own. Seeing what fine adults they are and how proud I am of them for what fabulous parents they have turned out to be."—85-year-old father of 55- and 59-year-old daughters, and three grandchildren.


• "I love when she wants to help around the house and realizes that she is a member of the family with a helpful role to play. The other day she offered to do the dishes and even went to get her little stool so she could reach the sink."—Mother of 3-year-old daughter.


• "Having him has made me want to do more, to be more of a responsible adult and to work harder so that I can provide for him really well in every way I possibly can."—Father of 5-year-old-son.


• "For the remarkable things he says out of the blue. The other day he told me that my mother, who passed away earlier this year, must be a star in heaven. It lightened me and made me hope that she was, too."—Mother of above child.


• "Every time I pick him up and hold him to me, I can feel my whole body charge. I hold his heart to my heart and my mood shifts. It is incredibly spiritual."—Mother of 11-month-old son.


• "I never knew how rich, deep and meaningful a life could be until I became a mother. If it wasn't for them, I would never have understood what love really is."—Mother of three daughters: ages 6, 4, and 3.


• "Since I am an older mother, my social life has opened up much wider since the birth of my child. I have met so many mothers with children my daughter's age and have so much in common with them. I am very grateful for my new friends and hers."—Mother of 2-year-old daughter.


• "I love my life as a parent. We do so many wonderful family things together. Everything from camping to going to the symphony. I feel so clearly that this is where I belong."—Father of 15-year-old son, 12-year old daughter.


• "I have a focus beyond myself. I never understood how nice that could be until I became a father. My thoughts are centered around my children; therefore, I have stopped obsessing so much about the minutia of my life that generally turned out to be meaningless anyway."—Father of two boys, ages 8 and 16.


• "What a privilege it is to be a parent. I love hearing those little feet coming down the hallway at 6 A.M. to join us in bed. What a blessing! What a joy!"—Mother of three girls, ages 4, 2, and 11 months.


• "If I could change my life as a mother ... I wouldn't. Loving this wonderful child and being loved by him. Watching him and helping him learn and grow. There could never be enough hours in the day for me to be his mother."—Mother of 7-year-old son.


• "I have learned so much not only from what he teaches me by what I learn through osmosis taking him to all his lessons. This year I learned to read music and say a whole sentence in another language."—Mother of 3-year-old.


• "The other day I took him to 'Dads 'n Doughnuts' at his school. I was so grateful just to be with my little buddy boy and for being his daddy. "—Father of 5-year-old son.