What did your parents do for you and what did you learn from that?

Great blog Ninja. Here goes.... My mother died when I was very young, my father was just starting his business and had little to no time for my brother and I. His parents, my grandparents took over the parental role until my father remarried my stepmother (of course I didn't like her). While my father was starting his business and a new relationship, my grandparents were always there, always watching over us and always making sure we were happy. My stepmother was very abusive, only to me, because I supposedly reminded my dad of my mother whom was his first true love. I left and went to college, graduated and when my grandmother became ill and died of cancer I moved in with my grandfather to keep him company. He taught me everything that I know today, to be strong, to never let someone beat you down, to voice your opinion, and most importantly, the imortance of family. I lived with him until I got married and those years were the best of my entire life. I got to know him like no one else and I love(d) him like no one else. When he passed away, a part of me went with him, but I know he is always there always watching and always smiling down on me.

My parents never did a single thing for me or my brothers, except put us in a world of addiction and self-centeredness. I promised myself i would not do that to my daughter.So in a way,what i was taught, was to stop the vicious cycle and give my daughter a chance at a real life! This will be hard though, cause her mother is the same if not worse than my mother.Now that may be harsh words to say, but when she uses everyone around her to support her so she never has to work, i think that sums it up. She is 38 and filed taxes 1 time in her life(thats when she was married to me) Does that tell you anything? I guess what ive learned is to give everything of myself for my daughters well being!