Countdown Day 9: #1 Parents

As I was looking at the calendar, it suddenly struck me. There's only 9 more days till Christmas! Christmas was, and still is, 1 of my favorite times of the year. There's just something magical about it, the whole Christmas spirit, Christmas air to it.

In light of this, I've decided, to dedicate a post each day, till Christmas, towards people that have made an impact on my life. That being said, there's definitely more than 9. So don't take it personally if you're not one of them posts. I still cherish your presence in my life.

First and foremost, I'd like to talk about my parents. I know, it's cheating 'cause it's technically 2 persons. So my parents. The couple that brought me to this world.

Looking back, nothing much really stands out. Just flashes and bits and pieces of the past. I remember, as a kid, dad was my idol. I used to follow him around, be it just outside the house at the garden, or cross states for dog shows. Dad was a huge fan, and a breeder wannabe. He never made it to the super leagues, but he still has some decent stock at hand. I remember going for shows, and looking at them dogs compete. Once, he got me a pet at the show too! Sometimes, I'd sit with the dogs while he and his friends went off to do whatever they did.

One of his friends, Dr Dave, had this big house, with a room that was fully air-conned, just for his dogs. And he used to throw huge get togethers, especially during Deepavali. His mom too, was a very very nice old lady. As life would have it, they both drifted away, that marked the end of my Deepavali feasting. Another friend of dad's used to be in the furniture industry, owning his own business. Once, we went to find him in Klang, and he brought us for a great seafood dinner, amidst the pouring rain.

Growing up, I wasn't too close to mom. My earlier memories of her was that she would be giving tuition practically everyday after school dismissed. As I aged though, me and mom started growing closer, while my relationship with dad started falling apart. Suddenly, mom seemed to give more relevant feedback that I could relate to better. Life was pretty decent then.

Till it came to a startling stop when dad got admitted into IJN. Well, he eventually came out, relatively unscathed. The whole ordeal changed us, as a family unit. I had to step up, and take over dad's daily routine of cooking for mom and ferrying her up and down from school. Well, of course I didn't do much actually cooking. Grandpa did the cooking during the weekend and tupperware-freezed them for me. I did, however, learned to be confident driving on my own (I already had a valid license back then. Just never really drove long distance, alone)

Fast forward to present.

I realize, as I age, I've come to appreciate both my parents, as flawed as they may be. For all their faults and shortcomings, they raised me to be the best I can, to the best of their abilities. Despite times where I wish they would change certain traits/characteristics, I'd not swap them for anyone else to be my folks