You know how our parents always said, "One day you'll understand"?
Well... one day actually came.
And somehow, they were right.
Now we understand most of the things we criticized them for.
Remember when they sat quietly listening to what we called "boring music"? We couldn't understand why they enjoyed it so much. Fast forward to today... guess who has those same songs on their playlist?
Now we understand.
Remember when they would just sit there, staring into space? Back then we wondered, "Is Mommy okay? Is Daddy alright?" We thought they were just being strange.
Now guess who sits quietly staring into space after a long day?
You.
Now we understand why they woke up in the middle of the night just to check around the house before going back to bed.
Now we understand why they couldn't always buy everything we asked for immediately.
Back then it was always, "Mommy, I need this." "Daddy, I want that." And when they said, "Not now," we got upset.
"But you're working! Why can't you just buy it?"
Little did we know they were doing mental calculations in their heads.
Speaking of mental calculations...
Let's clap for everyone who has ever stood in a supermarket calculating whether to buy the big pack or the small one.
Let's clap for everyone who has checked their account balance three times before making a purchase.
Let's clap for everyone who suddenly prefers staying indoors because going out now feels... expensive.
Funny enough, we used to call our parents boring because they hardly went out. Today, we're proudly members of Team Indoor.
And remember when you called your uncle or aunt asking for money and they replied, "Let's see what I can do." You probably wondered, "Why can't they just send it?"
Well...
Guess who has now become the new generation of uncle or aunt?
Suddenly, "Let's see what I can do" makes perfect sense.
The price of everything has a way of humbling you.
The older we get, the more we begin to understand the people who raised us.
We begin to see the sacrifices they made, the responsibilities they carried, and the silent battles they fought without telling us.
Adulthood has a funny way of making our parents' words make sense.
So today, let's give them the flowers they truly deserve.
Because not all heroes wear capes.
Some simply answered to "Mom," and others answered to "Dad."
And now...
We finally understand.