For my Parents

On vacation I found a biography by Jay Leno that he penned early on in his career
I was mostly skimming through it, until I found this story on the very last page of the book.
It was extremely moving for me because it reminded me of the sacrificial love that my parents showed me over my life. I am sure that as you read the story, you will also feel the same if you've been blessed with great parents.

"When I was 14, before I had my drivers license, I scraped up $350 to buy a crappy old 34' Ford pickup truck. Even though I couldn't legally drive, I just wanted to have my own car. The truck actually ran, but it was a dented up nightmare. Every day after school I worked on fixing it up: sanding, filing, painting, buffing.

As a present, my mom and dad got me brand-new upholstery for the seats.

Then, one day, I slammed a door a little too hard and the window just shattered. I did not have any money to replace it.

Around that same time. I finally got my drivers license. My favorite thing to do was to drive myself to school. My high school was a big flat building, where you could see the parking lot from every classroom.

----------One day it began to rain very hard

Because of the broken glass, I sat in class and watched my truck, and the new upholstery, get thoroughly drenched.  And I could not do anything about it

Then, suddenly, through the window, I saw my mom and dad tear into the parking lot. They screeched up next to my truck and dragged a huge piece of plastic out of their car.

Then they covered the truck in the pouring rain. My dad had known that the rain would ruin the new upholstery. So he left the office in the middle of the day, picked up my mom, and bought this hunk of plastic to save my seat...

I watched them do this.

And I just began crying right there in class...That memory has always stayed with me. There are so many things to miss about my parents..."

I am not sure why this story grips me so much.
It actually leaves me with a large empty feeling in the pit of my stomach each time I read it.
I am not sure if it does the same for you ...
Perhaps it is the way Jay tells it. He is reminiscing, which means his parents have passed on as he is writing it.  To me, there is a sadness to that.  Looking back and remembering the great times you had with those you loved the most and then having to put the pen and paper down only to live life without them is deeply sorrowful.
Or maybe the story moves me because I see my parents in the story...
Getting drenched in the rain for their son.
Putting themselves second for me ... again.
Sacrificing over and over.

--When I am honest, it is both.

I love you mom & dad.

Me & Mom! 
Some people say we look alike... ;)

Dad goofing off at Christmas.
He is wearing his new snow shoes on his head!

-If you have or had parents like Jay's share this story in their honor.