Today we’d like to take a moment to applaud the parents who despite many challenges, did they best they could and did right by their kids. We asked folks to share stories of what they feel their parents got right and have shared highlights below.

Michael Künstle

I always felt I had unconditional support from my parents in everything I would like to pursue in my life. My father used to say “I’d rather like to have a composer in our family than a banker”. The idea was that I should follow a profession that I’m truly passionate about and that I like to spend a lot of time with. And so I was always surprised how someone could choose their life paths based on other people’s opinions. I used to hear things like “Study this or that, because there are a lot of jobs in this field at the moment.” Read more>>

Delaney Ann

I am so grateful to have parents that never pushed me in one direction or another in life. They stood on the sidelines cheering on any and every endeavor my creative heart wanted to explore. My dad ALWAYS had a guitar pick (or a few) in his wallet ready to go. Such a simple act of kindess really was so much more to me. It meant that he was at the ready, willing to help me achieve my dreams. Both my mom and dad embodied this for me since I started music at such a young age. Their support set me up to dream big as I launched my career as an adult. Read more>>

Emily Austin

My biological parents physically, emotionally, mentally, and verbally tortured me for the duration of my adolescent life. My “normal” was begging for love and safety that I would never receive. Each day in their home felt like a deadly video game. I would survive a day, or a level per se, only to be met with another. I escaped the cruel game when I was junior in high school. I was forced to graduate early and miss all the normal kid experiences like cheerleading, prom, homecoming, and my senior year. Instead, I was at work. I had an overnight job unloading freight at a retail store, a day job selling furniture, and an evening job at a hotel working the front desk. I was staying on friends couches and at risk of homelessness until I found a landlord who let me rent an apartment under the table before my 18th birthday. Read more>>

Michael Kadnar

Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I really appreciate it! My mother really encouraged me to learn the piano and then percussion at an early age. This paved the way for my creative journey. In addition to this, she also firmly suggested I get a dual degree in college. My heart was set on studying jazz performance at a SUNY school in New York, but my mother always said I was good in business and should also study Finance so I have a good foundation and understanding of money.  Read more>>

Jillian Kay

My parents met when they were both actors in A Chorus Line at the Fort Bragg Playhouse in Fayetteville, North Carolina. They were, and are, Theatre Arts Creatives through and through. They were so much of the arts, that as a kid, I had no choice but to spend my nights at the theatre in the green room while my parents rehearsed. I colored in my coloring books as I heard bits and pieces of “The Vagina Monologues” before I had to block it out for the sake of my child brain. I learned the ins and outs of theatre spaces by playing hide-n-seek with my brother and having our own make believe games all while our parents were on stage, hoping their offspring would not break anything. I was completely emerged in the arts and the community of the arts by such a young age that I was able to enjoy so much STUFF I bet a lot of kids didn’t get to experience. Read more>>

Anya Nicolodi

My parents really placed an emphasis on being well rounded, cultured and overall being interested in other people. My dad used to always tell me how uninteresting he found people to be that did not ask other’s about their lives, their story. I have a big personality so my mom would explain to me how imperative it was to open up the space for other people to be themselves as well. This advice didn’t really resonate with me until I became an adult. I have eternal gratitude for these lessons that they instilled in me from a young age, and they have allowed me to cultivate really beautiful connections with others. I find myself preferring to sit in silence while other people their interest and it has actually motivated me in so many ways. I like to learn and get out of my head and connecting with other people is a great way for me to do that. Read more>>

Doreen Santos

If I had to pick one thing that my parents did right was showing me the value of hard work. Both my parents have always worked growing up. I grew up the baby of four. We all have had jobs since our teens. Our parents taught us the value of hard work and responsibility. Even though we never went without I know now it wasnt always easy growing up. For them I am grateful for my work ethic today as I know it comes from them. Read more>>

Dr. Sharada Tripathi

I was born in the rural region of the picturesque mountainous country of Nepal, where life was vastly different from what we often imagine today. There was no road access, no electricity, and no reliable drinking water supply to our home. My parents were deeply involved in farming to sustain our livelihood, though the agricultural work barely provided enough for daily meals, leaving little hope for a brighter future. In search of better opportunities, my father left home and went to India to serve in the Indian Army, while my mother remained a homemaker during my early years. Read more>>

Natalie Thomas

My mother did many things right and she was ahead of her time. Regarding my life and career, she was encouraging and nonjudgmental. In the 1980’s, she was visiting therapists while counseling was still very taboo and associated with “psychotic breakdowns”. If she didn’t connect with the therapist, she moved on and found another. I have to chuckle because I remember when she finally found a therapist she clicked with and then proceeded to recruit half the family! Read more>>

Lora Van Tassel

One of my favorite stories to roll my eyes at from my childhood is my dad’s ambitious backyard landscaping project. With my brothers and I as his unpaid labor force, we spent an afternoon scrubbing river rocks clean, only to move them to the other side of the yard. While this task seemed laughable back then, it taught me a valuable lesson: vision alone isn’t enough. Hard work is essential to turning dreams into reality. While washing and moving rocks might seem like a waste of time, I now see the value in the effort. It’s the seemingly small or meaningless tasks that lay the foundation for success. Though I haven’t had to scrub rocks again, the work ethic instilled in me has been invaluable in various aspects of my life, including my role as the owner of Home Base Pediatrics. Read more>>

Brandee J

Being raised by my parents and grandmother opened my eyes to many truths about the world. In all honesty, it was my grandmother who taught me how to be a woman of grace, style, and elegance—and to never take any nonsense from anyone. Growing up, I was a chunky little girl, and my grandmother ensured that I loved myself, even when my father, sisters, and mother made me feel as though something was wrong with me because of my size. She helped me see my true beauty beyond my size, and through her love, my confidence grew to such an extent that my mother and siblings resented me for it. Read more>>

Cleo Riggle

The biggest thing a parent can do for their child’s career is support their interest in it. I have wanted to be an artist since I was first asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. Through the years, my parents encouraged me to draw and to learn from other artists. My mom took a drawing class with me at a local studio. My dad would send me links to artists we both like and later to animation tutorials he heard about. I remember watching the documentary “Frank and Ollie” (1995) with him, which cemented my desire to go to school for animation. Both my parents always have and still do give their honest opinions about my work, which I am very grateful for. After giving me so much support, I think the most important thing they have done for my growth as an artist has been being honest. Being able to trust that my parents will tell me if something looks off or needs more practice is invaluable. It also means that I can really believe it when they say something is working or looks good. Honest review lets you know where you stand and gives you a path of where to go. Read more>>

Nicole Whitehall

I am first-generation Trinidadian-American and that has come with the duality of being born in American society and raised with Carribean values. I’m so blessed to have been born with two sets of grandparents, one if which was instrumental in raising me. So much so, I consider them my second set of parents. The instilled values of studying very hard, playing harder and always making time to dance with family and friends. Read more>>

Kelsey Sledd

I come from a wonderfully blended family. My parents divorced when I was young, and I grew up surrounded by a mix of siblings—half-siblings and adopted siblings alike. They raised me to be independent and self-sufficient, values that shaped the foundation of my business. I have endless gratitude for my parents and the lessons they taught me. Two of the most impactful philosophies they instilled in me were to treat everyone with kindness and respect, and to create as many meaningful memories as possible while you can. These principles are deeply intertwined into the heart of my business. Read more>>

Negin Rajaipour, Md

One of the most impactful things my parents did right was teaching me independence and resilience in the face of life’s challenges. While they came from a culture that valued tradition and conformity, their actions often encouraged me to embrace my own journey and rely on my own strength to navigate the world. Read more>>

Shalaine Stebner

My dad was always in a band. When I was little, they would practise in our basement, so I grew up surrounded by music. When they played gigs, we didn’t stay home with a babysitter, we went along! We danced, ran, and played all night, and usually fell asleep in the coat room or under a table! I think that every family has different values…some watch sports, some play strategic games, others are into the arts! No matter what they value, having their support in whatever you choose to do is invaluable! Read more>>

D. L. Armillei

My parents were a perfect blend of creativity and practicality, and their influence shaped me profoundly as an author and person. My mother was an artist, using painting as her medium. Her art studio was in the basement of our suburban Massachusetts home, a magical space filled with brushes, canvases, and the scent of oil paints. I remember going down there as a curious child and asking her why so many of her beautiful paintings weren’t signed. She smiled and said, “As an artist, I always feel they could be improved. I only sign them when they’re the best they can be to represent my vision.” That lesson—creative work is a journey of striving for excellence—has stuck with me. It’s the same approach I take to writing. Whether it’s a single sentence or an entire chapter, I never want to call it “finished” until it truly feels like it honors the story I’m trying to tell. Read more>>

Shannon Tomasik

My parents have always been my biggest supporters, encouraging my sister and me to believe that we could achieve anything we set our minds to. That belief became the foundation for my confidence to pursue a self-employed career—it always felt like the natural path for me because of the way they raised us. From an early age, my parents noticed my eye for art and did everything they could to foster that creativity. Whether it was proudly displaying my drawings on the fridge or getting excited about the magazines I made with my sister and cousins, they always made me feel like my art mattered. Unlike so many artists who are told to “get a real job,” I grew up in an environment where art was celebrated and seen as a meaningful career path. That encouragement gave me the confidence to dream big and believe that I could pursue art professionally. Read more>>

Kendall Walker

My parents have both always worked in teaching, from elementary and middle school to higher education. My dad was also always a creative and musical person. They both fostered my creative interests whether it was dance, theater, music, LGBTQIA+ expression, and anything in between. My dad raised me on the mantra of, “respect your art.” He would say it to me every time I was dropped off to a rehearsal, acting lesson, dance class, etc. “Respect your art” means that if you love to do something, if you want to make a career of it, you owe it to yourself and to the craft to respect it by dedicating time, energy, and passion to it. This motto has followed me into all of my academic and career endeavors whether it be getting my Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees in the arts fields, teaching theater in higher education, directing/acting professionally, or being one of the few female queer Dramaturgs in the area. Read more>>

Tanya Momi

When I reflect on my journey, the unwavering support of my parents shines brightly as a cornerstone of my strength and success. I had an arranged marriage and moved to the USA in 1983. Just a year prior, my parents had relocated to Canada. Their decision to help me settle in the USA was motivated by their desire to keep me close to them, even as I embarked on a new chapter in life. Read more>>

Blair Cohen

My parents instilled in me and my two younger sisters to become professionals. For as long as I can remember, we were encouraged to be able to support ourselves when we grow up. We were taught never to rely on anyone to support us financially. Starting in high school, I started paving my career in dentistry. I was admitted into the Biotechnology Program at Spanish River High School which began my interest in the sciences. My father, a general dentist, has always been a big inspiration to me. Ever since I was little, I would watch my father restore patients smiles and patients would be very grateful for his work. I hoped to one day have patients that would too tell me, “Wow, that was painless!” Read more>>

Ali Johnson-calderone

My parents did a lot of things right, but the real magic was in how they balanced being rock-solid role models for a healthy relationship while letting me chart my own, sometimes unconventional, path. Growing up, I got a front-row seat to an intact relationship built on mutual respect, communication, and a whole lot of warmth. My parents didn’t just show me what a strong partnership looks like—they lived it every day. Whether it was how they handled disagreements without slamming doors or how they always made time for each other (even if it was just a cup of coffee in the morning), they set the bar high for what love should be. Read more>>

Spencer Otto

My parents are incredible people. They are the most generous, compassionate, kind hearted folks you will meet. Amongst many others, the thing they did right which I appreciate the most is model to my sister and I what it means to be emotionally and spiritually connected. They were very intentional in showing us how to have compassion, empathy and love for others, especially those who were less fortunate than we were. I truly believe that developing emotional and spiritual intelligence, especially at a a young age, is crucial for a full, happy life. We live in such a disconnected world today where so many people have no idea how to relate others, and lack the ability to access their emotions. I’m so blessed to have had that modeled to me from such a young age. Read more>>

Shelly Lee

My parents did right by teaching me about God. I was not raised by my father, but before he passed, he told me, “If you don’t remember anything else, remember to stay close to the Lord.” Growing up, we were in church every time the doors were open. We attended Sunday School, church services, choir rehearsal, and YPWW. It was church, church, church. As a child, I didn’t understand why we always had to attend. I felt we should be able to miss service at some point. Read more>>

Genny Moller

My parents played a huge role in me starting my own business. Education was very important however having drive and creativity were also strongly encouraged and taught. My dad owned his own business and I watched the ups and downs, but it taught me how to be an entrepreneur and the feeling of success you get by being in charge of your own business. I was told I could do anything/be anything and I really believed it! Read more>>

Tansu Maxwell

My parents never limited my creativity. I first showed creative interest in myself in the way I dressed. My nanny famously recalls finding me getting dressed for kindergarten one morning, and I had put on layers of plastic costume jewelry. She offered to help me edit my look, but my mom said, “let her wear what she wants. She should be able to express her style.” Read more>>

 

Sophia Phoenix

The way you were loved is the way you will love, or, what you will rebel against… What my parents did right was love me exactly the way I was. I didn’t grow up being judged so now that’s my blueprint for loving others. If I wanted to eat food on the floor like a cat, my mom would serve me there. If I wanted to dress like a boy, my mom would cut my hair. If I wanted to play guitar, my dad bought me one, if I was interested in something, my dad would encourage it. Maybe it was the poverty and the Catholic undertones of my parents but they always seemed to make me feel like what comes naturally is inherently divine. Read more>>