The Next Chapter

So many things…so many things…

I wish I could play that scene again and again. To see my parents alive and well, would be so nice.

We had a lot of rules that we had to follow when we were kids. At the time, they were annoying and I always felt that my parents were too strict. You know, kids should be allowed to run, like a little dog pack, playful and intent: that sort of idea was common back then.

So, in a way my parents, especially my father, were ahead of their time when they insisted that there were ways to behave. Rules were meant to be followed and made the difference between good upbringing and bad.

For example, dinner time was more than just sit and eat, although that was a big part of it with three hungry boys. No, we had to use the right knife, spoon, or fork, depending on the dish. We could not leave the table until everyone was finished. When we spoke, we had to speak the Queen’s English – no exceptions. My father was like the headmaster of an English school, correcting our every word to perfection.

These days, with so many of us travelling the globe, living other places, and not having kids with us, there is no longer a need or the opportunity for such protocols.

Looking back, I miss them. Now I see that my father’s rules and my mother’s insistence on good behaviour were more important than I realized. They shaped who I am and how I interact with other people.

They help to fill the place in my heart where my parents live.