To The Ones Who Raised Us

There are these people. Let me tell you about them…

They were the ones who brought us home from the hospital as tiny babes. They spent countless sleep deprived nights rocking and feeding and snuggling us. They changed our diapers. They watched us grow into curious toddlers. They listened to our tantrums and taught us right from wrong. They affirmed our individuality as we discovered who we were. They made sacrifices so we could succeed. They were there to listen to us through heartbreaks and disappointments, always offering a shoulder to cry on and hope for the future. They loved us unconditionally through every stage we were in and every mistake we made. They poured their hearts and souls into raising us to be people of integrity who would make the world a better place. They showed us how to love and  how to live. They did all this, and so much more. And then…they let us go.

They bravely sent us out into the world, where we found love. And eventually, we depended more on our significant other than on them. We were no longer their babies, but had become a family of our own. We worked through the transition of leaving and cleaving, and they graciously affirmed and encouraged it, even though letting go was probably harder than they ever let on.

One day, we went to them with excitement in our voices. “We’re having a baby!” They hugged us with tears in their eyes, and joyfully told us how happy and excited they were.

Throughout the pregnancy, they kept checking in and offering to help in any way possible. They gave us the most sentimental baby gifts, ones that showed they know us better than anyone else in the world.

And then the day came. That sweet baby of ours was born. They couldn’t meet him fast enough. Even the ones living out of town, like many do these days, traveled over as quickly as they could.

Oh the joy. The joy on their faces when they held our baby for the first time. The joy on our faces as we watched them. And the tears. The happy, happy tears.

Once again, life had forever changed for all of us…in the best possible way. As the newborn days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, we saw a new side of them.

They came to help when we needed them, while also giving us enough space to figure out how to be parents on our own. They once again took on the role of a servant, doing our laundry, making us meals, and cleaning our houses, so we could heal and soak up the newborn days with our babies. They laughed and cried by our side when our emotions and hormones got the best of us.

When we sent out the SOS signal because we had NO idea what we were doing and couldn’t handle one more sleepless night, they dropped everything to come help.

They gave us advice when we asked for it, but also supported us in our own parenting strategies, which probably drove them a little crazy at times because some of our brilliant well researched ideas were so different than how they did it twenty or thirty some years ago.

They learned how to use smartphones so we could send them photos of our babies all day long, because whether they live down the street or not, they don’t want to miss a thing. Watching them receive and send their first few texts was the cutest thing. And now some of them even follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and they’ve secretly grown to love social media as much as we do.

They happily offer to watch the kids and encourage us to go on date nights and vacations, because they know in order for our family to succeed, mom and dad need to keep the spark alive.

More than anything, the day our babies were born they absolutely started loving them just as much as they love us, which made us love them even more. Even though they’ve already put in their time raising us and our siblings, they selflessly jump in and offer to do it all over again. They want to walk alongside us in the journey of parenthood, giving us their full support. Because the truth is? Even though they’re far removed from the kid stage, they remember. They remember the effort it took and the exhaustion that can easily set in. They know we have our work cut out for us, and they want to help carry the load.

If we have these people in our lives, we know we’re blessed, for they are a treasure and a gift. They are precious gems who we need to remember to treat with the upmost respect and gratitude.

And so to these people, these people who our kids call Grandma and Grandma, Nana and Papa, Opa and Oma, or whatever else we’ve named them, we want to thank you.

Thank you for raising us. Thank you for having our backs and trusting us to raise the next generation. Thank you for investing in our families and for demonstrating selflessness. Thank you for helping us and supporting us. Thank you for encouraging and affirming us. Most of all, thank you for loving us.

As we think about the future, we look forward to every opportunity to spend quality time together, making precious memories that we’ll hold in our hearts forever. Thank you for investing in our family. You’ve done a great job with us, and you’re doing a great job with our kids.

We love you, Mom and Dad!

P.S. For more reflections on parenthood and life, follow us on Facebook (Hun Let’s Run) and on Instagram: @ambermariekuiper and @jakekuiper! We’d also love for you to subscribe to our Hun, Let’s Run Podcast! For more info about joining our fitness community as a customer or coach, please email us at amber@mommysmetime.com!