Quote:
Originally Posted by MajorCaptSilly
I can go on for days on this subject. I always knew my parents loved me but they almost never showed any affection for my brother & I. We never got hugs or "I love you's" from mom or dad. It didn't really affect me until I had my own kids. I've never missed a chance to hug them, tell them "I love you", or "I'm proud of you". It was just a natural thing to do for me. It wasn't uncomfortable or forced in any way. I started wondering if my parent's felt the same love for me that I felt for my kids. I think they did but just didn't know how to express the emotion. As I see my kids almost grown, I believe that their knowing the love that my wife and I feel for them has helped a great deal with their self-esteem. They're both very bright but more important than that, they are very caring people.
MCS
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My mom was always very loving, but my dad was not. He never said I love you, and never even hugged me when I was little. He did love me though, very much. He was a provider - worked hard for me and my brother. He was a firefighter in Little Rock for 30 years. Just not the emotional type. I saw him cry twice - once when his brother died, and once when I forgot to show up for a mid-week family thanksgiving dinner and they were worried sick about me.
I want to be both a provider and show my kids affection. Life is too short.