Today my parents celebrate 60 years of marriage. Quite the achievement in a society that seems to place less and less value on commitment and stability. I could wax lyrical on all of the ways their love and support has helped propel me to where I am today, but I will instead focus on the leadership qualities that they have modeled for me throughout my life, qualities I hope I model in my personal life as a Dad, and also in my professional life as a leader and coach.
- Commitment to purpose: there was not once in my life that I ever believed they would not be there for me if I needed them. That stability has provided me with the foundation to explode into the world.
- Optimism and encouragement: no dream was ever to big, no goal ever unachievable. I may not have had a chance at being a centre forward for England, but I never felt that anything else was off the table.
- Constant learning - they injected into my world a thirst for knowledge and understanding that still drives me today. The challenge to push beyond my comfort zone, combined with the knowledge that the safety net of family was an ever present.
- Empathy, community and giving: they have lived a life of sacrifice, open hearts and kind souls. They gave back when they could, never lost hope, and provided a consistent environment of love. I will forever be indebted for their grace, love and compassion.
- Accountability: the importance of owning your actions; the importance of accepting consequence and the humility to look at these situations not as weaknesses, but as opportunities for learning.
There are so many other things I can say......but today is their special day, and so the only phrase that comes close to what I want to convey is:
Thank you Mum and Dad.......FOR EVERYTHING!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
#mumanddad #constancy #love #sacrifice #rolemodels
No comments:
Post a Comment