the giving tree

'Once there was a tree, and she loved a little boy.'

I know that I have read the poem 'The Giving Tree' at some point along the way (for some reason I always think of 5th grade gifted class when I think of Shel Silverstein).  However, I don't think I really read (or understood) it until I became a mother.  Recently, it has become Parker's favorite book so we have been reading it a lot.  

In some silly way, this book has made me appreciate our parents even more than I already thought I did.  I know that I would give anything to make Parker happy...I also know that our parents did and gave everything they had to make us happy.  I know that part of that is supporting our decision to live over here because it makes us happy (good opportunity might be more accurate:)... even if it sacrifices their own happiness.  

I had prepared myself for holidays over here...knowing that would be hard without our families near...Thanksgiving, Easter, etc.  However, I don't think I had prepared myself for how hard Mother's Day would be.  I think I had forgotten how much importance I had putting on being there for our moms.   Just knowing that they were sad because we weren't there was so hard.  Don't get me wrong...they didn't say a word, but you just know.  

I guess the point of this post is to let our parents know that we know what they have given up to support us over the years and to make us happy.  I cannot tell you how much we appreciate everything they have done for us.  We love you so much!!

"And the boy loved the tree...ver much.  And the tree was happy."