“A Meaningful Life”: What great parents are made of

When you think about what makes great parents, words like kindness, compassion, love, understanding, support, and helpfulness come to mind. These are the qualities that Ryan loves to talk about when he reflects on his parents, Lynn and Gary Parker.

Lynn, who is retired from her job at a local hospital, has always been someone who puts others first. Even in retirement, she’s never stopped showing love and support to her friends and family. Ryan often shares how thoughtful and caring his mom is, continually impressing him with her surprises and acts of kindness.

Gary is still out there working hard as a superintendent at a construction company, where he not only builds amazing structures, but also nurtures a beautiful family. With three kids—Ryan, Amber and Travis—and six grandkids (Capri, Paisley, Halie, Maci, Mason and Logan), he’s created a loving home filled with generosity, patience, and a strong work ethic.

When they’re not busy spoiling their grandkids or cheering on their favorite sports teams like the Blue Jays and the Canucks, they love to kick back and enjoy some downtime. Whether that’s streaming Yellowstone, playing trivia, or sneaking off for the occasional cruise, they always find time to relax together.

When Ryan thinks about his parents, he describes them with words like helpful, honest, hardworking, supportive and attentive. He chuckles as he remembers their fun family trip to Disneyland, where a character named Beetlejuice once unexpectedly pretended to find bugs in Ryan’s hair!

His parents always made sure he and his siblings had the best education and never missed a single practice or game.

Looking back on his childhood, Ryan fondly recalls his evening routine, saying, “My parents would give me a choice between one last round of Mario or a bedtime story. Of course, Mario usually won, but I’d end up crying until I got my bedtime story anyway!”

No matter how tempting the video game was, those quiet moments with either his mom or dad were so special to him. Now, as Ryan reflects on all the moments that make his parents amazing, he wants them to know just how loved and appreciated they are. “I just want them to know that I couldn’t be the person I am today without their love, and I truly appreciate everything they’ve done for me.”

Lynn and Gary Parker are great examples of what it means to live a meaningful life. Their support of family and honesty at work demonstrates how they value integrity. They’re creating a family legacy filled with love and kindness, always ready to help others when it counts.

For this, we say well done.