The Answer:

Have you ever seen The Sixth Sense? It's about a boy named Cole that can communicate with the dead. There is one scene that haunts me. It's when Cole reveals his special ability to his mother and proves that he's not lying or delusional. He relays something that his deceased grandmother told him that only Cole's mother would know to be true:

Cole: She [grandma] wanted me to tell you...

Mom: Cole, please stop...

Cole: She wanted me to tell you she saw you dance. She said, when you were little, you and her had a fight, right before your dance recital. You thought she didn't come see you dance. She did. She hid in the back so you wouldn't see. She said you were like an angel. She said you came to the place where they buried her. Asked her a question? She said the answer is... "Every day." What did you ask?

Mom: Do... Do I make her proud?  

I admit there have been times when I've worried about whether I've made my parents proud. The answer is certainly NOT everyday. I'm sure they suffered a few frustrations. Hopefully they're not too deeply disappointed with their underachieving son.

But today I was thinking the question is backwards. Shouldn't I worry more about whether my children are disappointed in me? Anybody that has survived childhood has a story to tell. I want to leave them with a good one.