I get it now. Like actually GET it. My dad always seemed tired but never complained. Now I'm tired and complaining constantly and my kid is only one. That man had four of us. I legit owe my parents an apology and a therapy fund. Parents are insane.
Wait until you have to explain to your own kid why you can't just buy them everything they want. That's when it REALLY hits home. The sacrifice isn't just physical, it's mental too.
This hit different when my oldest turned 8. I was doing the same thing my dad did, saying yes to everything, staying late at work, and I just broke down one day. My wife asked what was wrong and I couldn't even explain it properly. Just realized I was replaying my entire childhood.
Dude same. I called my dad last month just to apologize for not understanding how hard he had it when I was growing up. He didn't even know what I was talking about at first, said that's just what you do. Made me cry in my car at work.
This post just made me text my dad for the first time in weeks. Thanks for the reminder that we need to appreciate these guys while they're still here.
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The tired but never complaining part gets me every time. My dad worked construction for 35 years and never once told us he was exhausted or in pain. Found out after he retired that his back was absolutely wrecked. Now when I'm sore from yard work I think about how he just kept going.