10 Days of Gratitude: Day 9 - By Seleeda Bell Grantum

Gratitude

A love letter to my parents…

 

By Seleeda Bell Grantum

The many times the words would not come,

When I had the chance to say them out loud,

And,

How I wish they could hear the words now,

Willingly escaping from my lips,

With arms drawn and tears flowing.

Gratitude

Reflections of how they put up with my search,

I reminiscence the strict rules I fought against,

Appreciating the discipline after

Succumbing to the wiles of peer pressure,

And,

The bad decisions I made.

Gratitude

I may not have turned out as they planned;

A gay woman,

A single parent,

A militant to the woes of society,

But,

I know they would be proud of me,

Thankful how they taught me to be responsible,

Accountable,

Trustworthy

Dependable.

Gratitude

Oh! I think back on the questions I asked,

The answers I never received -

Clearly trying to protect me, soothe me, relish me,

The songs we shared,

The many trips to the South,

Jumping double-dutch and riding bikes.

Gratitude

I think about Sunday mornings,

The long prayers before breakfast,

The fancy hats,

The cute dresses with lace and bows,

The little white gloves and patent leather shoes,

I complained,

Didn’t want to go,

Made excuses to stay home,

But,

I was given no choice,

Which now I’m thankful of.

Gratitude

Laughter!

Oh, the laughter!

Living in the house was often comical;

I entertained them with songs and dances,

Telling silly jokes,

Imitating people, and

Eating cereal with peaches late at night.

Gratitude

Evening drives to the park to watch the ducks,

While I ate an ice cream cone,

Family cookouts and holiday dinners,

Teaching me to sew, cook, and hang curtains,

Preparing me for my future,

Preparing me to run a house.

Gratitude

Purchasing my first car,

Teaching me to drive,

Rescuing me when I ran out of gas,

Staying in contact when I traveled long distance,

Sharing my adventures,

Always being there when I needed them.

Gratitude

Never again will I feel that parental love,

I only had one chance

To experience the warmth, closeness, loyalty

From the ones who brought me here,

Nurtured me,

Prepared me,

Loved me.

Gratitude

Seleeda Belll Grantum is a Contributing Project Management Professor at Walden University, and also teaches as an adjunct professor for several colleges and universities. Her current research focus is in e-learning and developing online professional development training. She is working on a Doctorate of Business Administration in Management, and has earned a Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership, MBA, BS in Organizational Management & Development, and a BA in Biblical Education. She holds certification in Acidified Foods from the FDA, QM Certified Peer Reviewer from Quality Matters, Teaching in the Virtual Classroom from Fielding Graduate University, Online Teaching Certification from the Commonwealth of VA Community Colleges, and Principles of Real Estate from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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