when i realized i need some sort of enlightenment, i was reluctant to tell anyone- especially my parents. i grew up in a conservative household, in a conservative city and went to an incredibly conservative school. my conservatism was merely the byproduct of my parents political ideologies, not something i had cultivated myself based on my own ideas and values. as i swung across the political spectrum, flying far left of what most consider dangerously liberal, i found the courage to talk with my father. last summer my org facilitated a workshop entitled, "it takes a village to rape a woman" at the la social forum. when he asked how it went, i filled him in and gave him the packets we handed out. riddled with papers on male privilege, rape myths, and contemporary rape culture he read it all, in front of me. when he was done i could tell he had read and absorbed much of the information, and i told him about my consciousness. he laughed, and his partner told me he's on a similar, if not identical, quest.
so that leads me to this year... last month i bought him The Miracle of Mindfulness and inscribed a little note about being thankful for having him as a fellow traveler on the path to mindfulness. today is his birthday, so i posted a simple "happy birthday dad" on his facebook and he responded with two heartwarming comments about me and my sisters influence on his life, and how much he appreciates the gift. he's also finished nearly a quarter of it already and commented on how much he's already learned from the book. it feels good to gift your parent with something as influential as this book is proving to be.
i'm so lucky to have a father like him- supportive in every sense of the word, loving, amazing, smart, talented, successful and inspirational. i'm lucky, and i'm thankful... i love my dad, and so do his grandanimals he's so proud of. :)
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