I am fortunate to have good parents so it is easy for me to identify the qualities that make them good. These qualities are unconditional love, trust, and respect for me and my brothers and sisters.

All mothers and fathers love their children. They nurture them and keep them from harm. But not all love is unconditional. Some parents would not love their children if they married someone of a different religion or from a different ethnic group. Some parents would not love their children if they were of a different sexual orientation. My parents won’t. My parents would love us regardless of whom we married or whom we chose to love.

Part of unconditional love is trust. My parents trust us to do what is right. They know we would never do anything to hurt them or to disgrace them. They trust us so we trust them. We are confident that they would never do anything to hurt us.

Because our parents love us, they also respect us. They treat us as individuals. They accept our differences. They do not expect us to be like them. They want us to be our own persons. They want us to make our own way in the world, not follow in their footsteps.

Without their love, I would not be as confident as I am. Without their trust, I would not be free to do what I want. Without their respect, I would not feel comfortable being on my own. All children should have such wonderful parents.