30 Day Meme -- Day 3

Day 03 – Your parents, in great detail
I'm really excited about this one. This one won't be depressing, I promise! It's full of hope and happiness and things that make you go "AWWW!"


My parents just turned 42 in August. I turn 23 in November. For all of you non-math people -cough ALYSHA cough-, that means that my parents were 19 when I was born.


My mother is a cop's daughter. She grew up taking care of herself because her family didn't have enough money to buy all the things she wanted. In high school, she worked at a department store at the Albany Mall.


My dad is an only child. His father died of lung cancer when my dad was 12 [though his dad was much older.. they had him very late in life] so my dad, like my mom, had to work to help out as much as possible. Dad also worked at a department store in the Albany Mall, and that's how they met.


They had gone to elementary school together, and my dad admitted that he had always had a crush on my mom, but he never did anything about it. Mom was dating this guy [21 to her 18, and red hair to boot! I could've been a ginger!!] and Dad was dating this girl. Dad broke up with his girlfriend and started pursuing Mom. They ended up going on their first date, lunch at Chick-Fil-A, on October 10th, 1986.


They got married six months later, April 10th, 1987.


Lynn was born November 6th, 1987, only one day before her due date.


Again, for you non-math people, that means I was conceived a little early.


My dad was planning on proposing already by the time Mom found out that she was pregnant. Dad said he was terrified to tell my grandfather because Pepaw is 6'4, 200 pounds, and a police officer aka licensed to carry a gun. They always tell the story that they told Memama first [because she is much more easy-going and more likely to be able to calm Pepaw down once he gets upset] and waited for Pepaw to get home. That particular night, Pepaw seemed to fill the door frame, and Dad was scared. But they told Pepaw, and long story short, they got married in April.


They've been married for 23 years. Happily married for 23 years. It's unreal. They got pregnant and had me at 19, still went to school [Mom went to Georgia State for an accounting degree while Dad went to Georgia Tech for an engineering degree. All the while, Lynn is in daycare], Dad was in the army for a few years, Mom went back to school for a nursing degree, they were different denominations [Mom was Lutheran, Dad was Baptist], and tried to be as financially independent as possible. They are still so much in love that it's almost sickening haha


That's not to say that they haven't had hard times, but they always work through them. They fight like any normal couple, but they make amends. Dad is vice president of a wing of his company and is head of the office in Atlanta. Mom is a labor and delivery nurse [formerly a charge nurse, but the stress was too much for our depression-anxiety-ridden selves] at a hospital in Gwinnett. She recently went to part time and is enjoying every moment of it. Dad travels a bit, which he hates because he's been travelling for almost 10 years now. He spent almost an entire year in Europe when I was in 7th grade.


My relationship with my parents is rough. My dad and I used to be extremely close, which made my mom and I grow further apart, but lately I'm just as far from both of them and getting further by the day. They expect too much of me. I think the fact that I'm 22 and have no babies is a good thing, since the rest of my family didn't accomplish that feat, but it's not good enough. I made good grades, but it's not good enough. Nothing is good enough for them. It never will be. But I've learned to deal, for the most part, and things are alright. I promised that I wouldn't get depressing, so I won't. Things *are* better than they used to be, as a whole. Things with Mom are exponentially better, so I'm happy.