They've Always Seemed to Know What They Were Doing - 1

I'm talking about our parents. Growing up, each small decision they made every day influenced how we turned out. They knew what to cook, how to dress us, what to buy, when to let us watch TV, when to ask us to read, when to send us to bed, which school to send us to, whom to introduce us to, and most importantly, how to educate us. So many variables influence how adults turn out, and our parents seemed to have the exact roadmap.

My father was 47 when I was born. I always regarded him as the wisest man alive, even though he constantly told me he was as vulnerable as everyone else. I owe my life to my parents and my way of being to the way they brought me up. Whenever I asked them something, they always had the right answer. Even if it did not always seem that way at the time, in the end, every piece of advice they gave served the great purpose of building a man of values and integrity.

I was born with one quality: knowing how to listen to them. My father sometimes had trouble expressing his emotions, but he always let me know he had the best intentions. Somehow, I was able to trust his judgment and decisions without question. This was the greatest gift I've received from the universe.

My teenage years were smooth and enjoyable—no major fights with my parents, no talking back, and no anxiety or depression. Even if things were not always the way I wanted them to be, I never felt misunderstood or unheard. One thing I knew for sure: my parents understood me better than I understood myself. They knew me because they knew themselves, and the mistakes they made were the ones I would have made if they hadn't prevented me from doing so.

My father would always talk about genetic inheritance. He'd tell me proverbs such as "like father, like son" and "the apple does not fall far from the tree," to help me understand that a significant part of who we are comes from our parents. Knowing our parents' strengths and weaknesses is a crucial part of understanding ourselves and, more importantly, our future selves. He was so passionate about this topic that he spent his whole life observing others, to the point where he was ultimately able to predict how a child would turn out just by looking at their parents.

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How is it that our parents seem to have answers to everything? And why is it that when we become parents, we don’t have it all figured out like we thought our parents did?

I have immense respect for all the devoted parents in the world, those who fight every day for the well-being of their children, against all odds and vicissitudes. Being a parent is unlike anything else humans experience; it is the ultimate stage in our spiritual enlightenment. Even though they were learning alongside us, our parents made everything seem natural, steering the wheel of our destiny toward a place of calmness and contentment. Our parents, who smiled and comforted us even when things were not going well for them, should be our ultimate role models.

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My father is 65 years old now, and my mother is 50. They are my mentors, friends, and points of emotional support — they are, indeed, my heroes!