I would be like a bird without wings if I didn’t have my parents. The things I have come to learn from my parents such as how to carry out a productive lifestyle will stay with me forever. I will forever express my gratitude to my parents for all they have done. My dad has helped me with learning to hunt, fish, and to be a hard worker. My mom teaches me things that have more to do with my education, my religious faith, and exercise. Not to mention, she takes me everywhere I have to go. My parents are the best parents in the world, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

My dad is very important to me in many ways. All of the things I do outside I have learned from him. I can remember when I was about three getting all excited for my first time fishing. I had known about fishing, and had seen fish before, but I had never been fishing before. My first fishing trip started with dad rigging the fishing poles because I was too little. I was very curious about the hooks and lures so I picked one up. That was a bad idea. I cried out in pain as the fishhook went into my skin, and my dad had to cut the hook to get it out. After I had gotten a band-aid we were ready to go fishing. My grandfather joined us, and we went to Oneida lake for a day of fishing. At first, I sat patiently with my pole waiting to catch a fish, but the hours passed and still nothing. I began to tire and became frustrated. While I caught nothing, dad and grandpa caught many fish. I was sad, but dad came to me and said,

‘someday you will get the hang of it.”
I was able to catch my first fish a week later, and I have since then worked my way up to catching as many fish as my dad does.

Dad also hunts a lot. Because of state law you cannot hunt for deer until you are fourteen years old. I patiently waited as the years went by where dad would bring home a deer on his own, but I really wanted to join him. Finally, the year I turned fourteen I heard I could go hunting, and I was a puppy bound with so much excitement and energy that I could not hold it back. My first day started out very early. It was five o clock on a Sunday morning when my dad woke me up saying,
“come on lets go!”
I got up, and dressed very warm to go sit like a statue out in the cold. I grabbed my gun and headed to the truck. It was a cold, but nice morning. As I breathed the cold air through my nose, I knew what I had to do to get a deer. My dad and I went to a spot on a hill close to a swamp. I sat there perfectly still all day in hope that I would see a deer, but I didn’t see anything. We have been on numerous hunting trips now, and I have seen many deer. Dad laughed at me the day I missed a deer that I shot at, but he missed one the next day. My dad and I have had many great times together.

One thing my dad values over all is hard work. He taught me to not be lazy and to do any job as good as possible. When I do jobs for people I am paid well because of the good job I do. I owe my ability to do hard, quality work to my father. All of the work he has made me do has helped me to become stronger. I could never count the numerous loads of firewood I have moved and stacked or just how many times I have shoveled the same area in five years. Though I have a lot of work to do, I am greatly encouraged to accomplish things by my dad.

Todd Sterling, my father has helped me to be who I am today. My reputation has much to do with the things he has taught me, and all of the abilities I have inherited from him. To be able to participate in shooting and fishing sports is great, and I am glad he has taught me to do these things. It is a wonderful trait to be a hard worker. I will be successful in my job someday because my dad taught me how to do good work that is acceptable. He has helped me to be and continue to be successful in life.

My mom, Rebecca Sterling, is a wonderful woman. She mainly cares about my education. I can recall the times when she has seen bad grades from me and became agitated. She has high expectations for me, and this has helped to encourage me to work hard in school. Keeping up with my studying, and homework is difficult when I have field band, religious education, science Olympiad, and drama many nights in the week. I have become so accustomed to this busy lifestyle that when things slow down I get lost. Because of mom I have been able to do well in school and enjoy it. It even brings me pleasure when I get my report card and see that I am doing well. I know my mother meant well by making me study and do well in school. It will help me greatly in the future.

My health and good habits were taught to me by mom. Running around a lot, and hiking through the woods has made me tired many a time, but my mom likes to see that I get my exercise everyday. My mother exercises a lot. She runs, bikes, skis, and kick boxes. It seems she is always doing one of these. If she could do two of these at once she would. With good health I am able to grow, and my immune system is very good. I hope to live a long time, and my mother has helped to make that dream actually happen.

Religion is very important to my mother. I have gone to religious education class since my First Communion. This year I will be making my conformation and becoming a full member of the church. My family goes to church every Sunday. I can’t usually go fishing or hunting until after church because my mom will not allow it. I enjoy learning about God, and I thank my mother for making me sit through church and not letting me run off to have fun. My mother is very special, and the best in helping me to succeed.

Probably one of the things my mom is the best at is being my chauffeur . I have to be brought to and from many school functions, doctors appointments, and orthodontist appointments. Mom spends a lot of her free time taking me where I need to be. Though I really appreciate that my mom takes off of her time to run me around, but she always tends to be late. I remember one time in particular when I had to be brought to the school for the science Olympiad competition. This was one time where running late almost cost me my trip to the competition. It all started early in the morning when I woke my mom up, and told her we needed to leave in a while. She proceeded to wake up, and start the terribly long process of getting ready. After a while I warned her that we needed to leave. She said:

“Its ok Kyle we will make it there in time I just need a few more minutes.”

“Ok mom I will be waiting in the car.”
After five minutes she came running out the door.

“Mom we are going to be late I told you we had to go.”

“Do not worry we will be fine.”
Then of course the only day you get stuck in slow traffic is the day you are running late. It always seems to happen like that. After a while I started getting panicky.

“ We are not going to make it I’m going to miss the bus.”

“We will just make it Kyle.”
We pulled up to the school just before the bus was going to leave. We were late as usual, but this time being tardy could have cost me my competition.

My mother is a wonderful person. She has helped me to become who I am today. She has made sure that I do well, and succeed in my schooling, and my religious faith. Mom can run late, but it sure beats walking. I know no other mom who is as good as mine, and I love her very much.

I have wonderful parents. My way of life has been influenced by them, and will continue to be structured by what they teach me. My dad has helped me to get outside to hunt, and fish. Learning to do this means I can get food and have fun doing so. Learning to be a hard worker will help to open up my opportunity for a good job and good payment for quality work. Thank god for my mother. I couldn’t ask for anything better than she is. In life you find there are many obstacles that you must get past, and being healthy and strong will help to get past life’s obstacles. Being smart I will go to college hopefully on scholarship, and receive a job that I enjoy , but will test my knowledge. Continuing my religious faith with my mother’s help means I will come to know a lot about god, and that I must always go to church. I could someday become a priest, and help children like myself learn about god and prayer. My parents are the best thing to me, and no one can replace them. As the fifth commandment states: “honor thy father and thy mother”.