My parents are in Melbourne for the week and I have been charged with the care and feeding of the entities known as my younger siblings, even though there are very few actual resemblances. My sister, for instance, likes to travel to third-world countries to do charity work. My brother reads Neal Stephenson.
And they're both staunch Catholics. But that's another matter.
Anyway in this week I have been abjectly humbled by the amount of work my parents must have had to do to raise the three of us. Since they left I've had to ferry my siblings around to various activities, do the grocery shopping, cook meals, and take them out to dinner and a movie. Today I got up at 6.45am to play driving instructor while my sister nervously drove to school. (It's quite cute, she sticks out her arms straight and stays in the left lane. More evidence of the vast gulf between us.) Then I went Christmas shopping, which took the whole day. I'm exhausted. And my parents have only been gone three days.
So it's true what they say - you don't really appreciate your parents until they're not around. I'm just glad I learned this lesson before it's too late.
On the subject of being humbled, I'm starting to draw up my resolutions for next year. (My persistence in this futile exercise every year is proof that optimistic irrationality is alive and well.) Tally of last year's resolutions: work less, check, thanks to subbing stint. Drink less, big check, thanks to removal of certain bad influences. Which also led to - Stop smoking, biggest check of all!
So at the top of my list for next year, I think, is: be a humbler person. This year I've already gotten everything I want; I should be simply grateful for that. Now it's time to sit back, enjoy life - and think about what my resolutions should be for 2009.
posted by zyn ::
12:29 AM ::
4 Comments ::
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