Dooley Noted: 3/16/2016
Growing up, I guess one could say we were not wealthy by traditional terms.
My parents would tell stories of being much poorer when they started out.
They worked hard. But having three girls to nurture was no easy feat.
So, my parents always encouraged me to work hard in school.
They thought it would afford me a better life.
So, I worked diligently in school – and I went all the way.
And I got a great job. I got several of them.
But I was always looking for what they had.
In the hardest of times, they had each other.
I remember their endless support of each other, when a union went on strike or a roof needed replacement.
I remember them dancing in the kitchen, and Dad commenting for decades about the beauty of my mother.
I remember how they considered selling their house, but couldn’t bear to give up the place they raised a family.
And I remember how arguments came and went, but they always came back to center to find each other.
No matter how my salary changed or to what country I traveled, I spent my life searching for the life they showed me growing up.
They didn’t know they had the better life all along.
They are missing out on nothing that is worth trading what they have – what they built.
When I found the love of my life last year, I knew that I finally found the life they groomed me to live.
If a better life means mimicking the marriage of my parents, then I finally found a suitable partner for this better life.
It’s worth a thank you to my parents for showing me the model of a better life.
I hope you build a great life and seek for no better than what you build.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
