Gratitude for "My Marching Orders"

Many years ago, my parents would try to encourage me whenever I was down or facing tough times by giving me a card containing a few words of wisdom and encouragement. They tended not to give me any direct advice or face-to-face lectures (I, being stubborn, wouldn't have listened to them anyway), but somehow the written or printed word always seemed to do the trick. My parents knew exactly what they were doing.

Recently, while cleaning out some boxes in the basement to prepare for our family's move to a new home, I came across a box of decades-old letters and cards — mostly unimportant junk that was long overdue for the rubbish bin. But among the debris, I found two identical cards. Gems, really: One was from Mom, and one was from Dad. Each was given to me on separate occasions.

On the front of each the card is a print of what I now lovingly call "my marching orders." My parents, while not lecturing me in person, where telling me exactly what I needed to do:

Believe in Yourself:
Dream freely
Envision excellence
Cherish your creations
Exude enthusiasm
Be inspired
Inspire others
Take pride in you
Recognize inner beauty
Draw on inner strength
Look inside your soul
Create peace
Seek truth
Spread joy
Embark on adventure
Launch new ideas
Think big
Invoke positives
Live fully
Reach out
Aim high
Find happiness
Expect the best
Be the best

Inside the card from Dad was a note hastily scrawled in his messy hand: "I hope this helps a little. Love, Dad". The note from Mom was also terse: "Hang 'tuff." You can do it. Love, Mom".

But between the words and lines, I realize, was the real and unwritten message that my parents wanted to convey: "We love you, We support you. We're here for you. Keep your chin up. You're bigger than the problem you're facing. So, trust, us — you'll get your ass through this."

Thanks Mom and Dad. I love you, too.

I was listening. Really. I have my marching orders. And I try to carry them out every day. And I'll be sure to tell my kids the same thing — in a way that will get through to them when it seems that I can not.