Mother's Day and Father's Day 2014

My parents were both 21 when I was born - my Dad turned 21 only 3 days before I was born.  It really didn't hit me how young they were until I was that age and married myself, but without kids.  I had a great childhood and appreciate everything they've done for me.  This year for Mother's Day and Father's Day I posted some old pictures on Facebook that I thought I would post here too.

This picture is 4 generations of women on my Mom's side.  My grandmother Rosa Lee, my Mom Susan holding me at a few months old, and my great-grandmother Mittie.  These 3 women have been hugely influential in my life.  My great-grandmother set up an education trust fund that paid for my undergraduate and graduate degrees 100% - that is such an incredible blessing to not have any student loan debt at all.  My grandmother spent tons of time with me and my brother as kids driving us all around Wilmington when we would visit and doing whatever we wanted to do.  She is now 88 and still going strong!  Of course my Mom has been a huge influence and she and my Dad sacrificed financially for her to stay home with me and my brother.  We may not have had a ton of money, but my Mom was great at getting really thoughtful gifts that we loved and always doing special treats and things for us when we were growing up.  I'm very thankful to have had all these women in my life!

For Father's Day I posted these two pictures of me and my Dad.  The top one is at his college graduation from Appalachian in August 1981 - I was almost 2 years old.  The bottom one is us at my college graduation from UNCC in December 2002.  My Dad always stressed the importance of an education - it's something that can NEVER be taken away from you.  His mother worked outside the home when he was growing up and that was very rare for that time.  He and his sister were the first ones in their family to go to college and he definitely expected the same from me.  Even though my Mom stayed home with me and my brother, my Dad wanted to make sure I had options.  He saw the value in both a working mother and a stay-at-home mother.  I minored in Women's Studies in college and I definitely appreciate that my Dad wanted his daughter to have options and an education.  I know he is so proud that I not only graduated from college, but also have a master's degree.  I am so thankful for my Dad and all he's taught me!