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For the love of my SMART family

The older I get, the more I realize just how perfect my parents are. For each other. For me. For our family.

I’ve done nothing for 30 years in a row. That’s because I’m only 26 and a half years old. So this past year when my parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, this called for more than just a simple, yet always thoughtful, anniversary card. Hence, I personally wrote them a thoughtful, yet very heartfelt, anniversary letter because I am an amazing son. I had intended to write the letter saying how much I loved them and how great of parents they are. It is the truth after all, but it turned out to be much more about how I love the family they have created and how incredibly fortunate I am to be the loving, caring person I am based on my upbringing. Not to mention that in my young adult life, I’m truly closer to them every day. Yes, I’m using JUF News to publicly display how much I love and care about my family.

The older I get, the more I realize just how perfect my parents are. For each other. For me. For our family. A lot of people say that a marriage takes work, and to that, my mother always says that she’s still waiting for the work. I love that. My parents are such an anomaly in all the best ways possible. I’m amazed at how they never seem to have any real problems, especially considering how much my Dad snores. They’ve created something remarkable with us. Be around us for ten minutes and see how we all understand and get each other. Even though it looks like we’re yelling, we’re just loud talkers.

  Miller Family

From left: Me, Mom (Sandy), Sister (Trudy), Dad (Robb), Brother (Michael). My S.M.A.R.T. Family. Get it?

I always like to say that my parents raised me perfectly. My siblings will have to account for themselves, but I think they’re pretty good too. I love who I am and I often cite the reason I am so caring and true (other people’s words, not mine) is that I learned it all from my parents. I’ve never, for a moment, had to question their love for me. I can see in my young years of adulthood how much closer I am with the both of them and my siblings. It’s inconceivable I could ever be any closer to my family than I am now, yet somehow, every single day that ends up being the case.

I moved out of my parents’ house a little over a year and a half ago, but as much as I love being out on my own, I miss them every day. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t want to be roommates with my parents ever again. However, the relationship I have with my parents is one that could only be rivaled by my younger brother and sister. Luckily, I’ll always have more years on them and have the peace of mind that I was, in fact, the favorite child for a little over three years. But honestly, if there’s one thing that can get me to any event ever, it’s that my brother and sister will be there.

But it’s in the way my parents care. The way they both show their love that is an ideal I hold close to me. I often brag about the consistency in which I call my mom, legitimately just to say hello. Or how much my dad cares about his kids more than most people care about virtually anything. Yes, I brag about my parents. Maybe I’m brainwashed. Or maybe I’m just—family-washed. Heh heh. I’m so cute.

The passion my parents show for my family and for the love that holds it together is beautiful. I know that any one of us would literally drop everything for one another. I’ve seen it happen. For my siblings especially, I’d drop my entire life to help them if they needed it. It’s a level of appreciation for one another that doesn’t just happen. That’s not simply built overnight. It’s something that we have created over decades. Over three decades in fact.  And what I truly love is that I have learned to not only show this compassion within our family but outside of it too.

So I want to thank my mom, my dad, my brother and my sister for loving me so much, for loving each other so much, for being exactly who all of you are and for making me exactly who I am. Now enjoy another picture of my family as we enjoy being in Disneyland, because most of our family vacations revolve around us going to Disney theme parks, because we are all adults and do adult things.

Adam Daniel Miller is a writer and Oy!Chicago blogger living in Chicago. Follow him on Twitter @TheMindOfADM.



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