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.

Ira Tan

One thing my parents did right was always telling me to believe in myself. As cliche as it may sound, but this really stuck with me. They always told me that one thing people couldn’t take away from me is my heart and my brains and I’ve always led with that. Whether it’s learning how to manage my team or my intimate relationships, I’ve always tried to remain true to myself and decisions that I would be able to live with in the end. Read more>>

Randall Porter

My family has the type of relationship that no matter what, we say “I love you baby” and move on. That’s just it in my career recently. If something happens that is not serving me, I say “I love you baby” and move on. If we need space that is how it is. But know there is always major love there. I think also allowing me to figure out my own was what I think my parents did right. Whether it was intentional on their part or not. Read more>>

Shelby Mettlen

I love this question. My dad is actually the reason I’m where I’m at –– without him, it’s likely I would have never touched a camera. He gave me his film camera when I was a kid and introduced me to the basics of photography. I think learning a little bit on film when I was so young helped me appreciate what it takes to make a truly good photograph. He helped me learn that photos should be created with care and emotion and composition in mind. Read more>>

 

Jess Strohm

The way I was raised hands down made starting a business possible. My parents taught me that I can do anything I put my mind to. Our family has a great spirit of following your dreams. I grew up looking at my mom’s modeling headshots and glam photos of my dad from his band in the 80’s. They always encouraged all of our creative pursuits and taking our passions are far as we wanted to. They were my rock through my dance career – from the age of 3 dancing in a studio connected to a gas station, to college nationals in Florida, professionally at NBA games and now across the globe. Read more>>

Toni S. Brown

My mother worked at the Department of Energy in Washington DC for over 30 years. She would take me to work with her and I noticed how much of a boss she was. As a kid, I didn’t have the terminology that characterized her actions, but when I think back on it my mom had things and people in check. For example, she’d always tell people “I don’t work FOR you. I work WITH you.” That has stuck with me to do this day. When I work with clients, sure they’re paying me to do a job, but I still don’t work FOR them. Read more>>

Devyn Giovengo

Growing up my parents were separated but I learned a ton of different life skills and lessons through both of them. One thing I learned through both of them was working hard. I witnessed them leaving for work at early morning hours and not getting back for long hours. This definitely at a young age made me understand how to work hard but also made me from a young age know I didn’t want the regular 9-5 like most people. Read more>>

Loundie Chery

One thing my parents did right was showing me that hardwork can get you anywhere in life. My parents are Haitian refugees. They brought 10 of their children including my aunts, uncles and cousins to the United States when I was 2yrs old literally with nothing, no English and just a vision to provide a better life for our family. Read more>>

Louis Deveseleer

As a kid, I was naturally lazy and I would have felt happy spending most of my free time in my PJ’s at home, playing video games and reading comics. While I did do some of that, my parents always pushed me and my two sisters to do many activities outside of school. They did not have the chance themselves to learn music or do sports when they were young and they thought these things would be good for us. So over the years growing up, Read more>>

Lydia Yousief

I think that there is a stereotype about Arab parents and their strictness and their “my child is going to be a doctor.” While I did feel pressure to be excellent not only from my parents, but also from their own histories of excellence (i.e. my dad coming to the US alone at the age of 23 after working factory jobs in Egypt or my mother leaving her discriminatory government job in Egypt to work as a nanny in the US), I never felt that if I failed, there would be less love. Read more>>

Zoey Best

From a very young age my parents taught me that I could succeed at anything I put my mind to, and that they would support me every step of the way. They told me that I could accomplish anything I wanted… and I believed them! When we decided to start our business in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, I knew that we wouldn’t fail simply because I wouldn’t allow it. The confidence they instilled in me has made me the successful entrepreneur that I am today. Read more>>

Keri Norris

My parents have always emphasized education as a means of getting ahead in life. Coming from humble beginnings they both made sure that my siblings and I valued, respected, and attained our highest potential. Early on my mother always bought us educational materials during the summer and at a young age my father had me doing “homework” with my siblings even before I started school. Read more>>

Patricia Douglas

My parents would tell you I was a gift and blessing to them, but the truth is, they were such a gift and blessing to me! When I reflect on what they did right, I am most grateful for their decision to listen to God’s voice by choosing to adopt me. Even from a legal standpoint, they made sure from Day 1 that everything they had was just as much mine as theirs. They gave me unconditional love and guided me through life with such words of wisdom, always setting an excellent example of how to love others with compassion and kindness. Read more>>

Janei Dortilus

Since my parents are from Haiti, they’ve always sacrificed things in life to ensure that I will have the life they were not fortunate enough to experience. They taught me how important it is to be independent, goal oriented, and hardworking due to their cultural background. Growing up, I’ve always known the benefits of entrepreneurship. Seeing my family work so hard to be successful in a new country encourages me to make them feel like their sacrifice to move to the United States wasn’t in vain. Read more>>

Kat Rodriguez

Growing up as a migrant family, my parents taught the me value of hard work. My father was a Crew leader of agricultural workers and I learned communication skills, accounting, and organization at the age of 10. My summers did not consist of fun camps or staying home. I was taught how to help them by filling out paper work needed for payroll, and talk to the workers to communicate any information they needed to know. Being bilingual was a must growing up. Read more>>

Ari Chibbaro

I love talking about my wonderful parents. I grew up with a military dad and a stay-at-home mom, with 10 siblings (8 biological + 2 adopted) and about a dozen other people in need who lived with us at different times that my parents helped to raise. When people read or hear this story, they assume that we grew up poor & sad. It’s totally the opposite, I remember we grew up happy, watched each other closely, learned to share and most of the time we’d come together as a team to support each other. Read more>>

Delisha Girdwood

I had my first art project in kindergarten which was to draw my home. Somehow at the tender age of 5, I decided to draw on an old strip of canvas my mom had laying around. I used glitter, lentil peas and other materials to exaggerate the features of the house. This project was the stepping stone in becoming an artist. Not because of the outcome or creativity of the project, but 20 something years later, my mom still has that house framed and hung in her kitchen for everyone to see. Read more>>

Sean Dunbar

I am very blessed to have to parents who have been nothing but supportive of my dreams my entire life. Although they may push me sometimes, I am grateful to have them. I am absolutely blessed to have them in my life. There are a lot of people who don’t have tight knit families, and having one is something I will never take for granted. They have taught me everything I know. They have taught me that is okay to fail, that I should follow my dreams, but more importantly, how to love one another and be thankful for what I have. It is because of them that I am the person I am today. Read more>>

Jasmine Kerr

My parents raised me to believe. As simple as that sounds, it played a major part in my creative and entrepreneurial spirit. As a little girl, whatever dream I had whether it was wanting to become an actress, a hairstylist, a daycare provider for my teddy bears, they nurtured it. My parents took me to an audition for a talent agency and I did t get selected. But, it was their nurturing spirit that inspired me to try. It was their honest yet comforting response to my denial that taught me that you won’t always win. Read more>>

Kaleisha Council

There’s so much I can say about my mom and the life lessons she has taught me. My mom always told me to keep going and never to let my circumstances break me. I have seen my mom experience many challenges throughout her life, but she never allowed anything to break her. She showed me how to be strong and fight through challenges while remaining positive. Read more>>

Tabatha James

My parents taught me to find balance. Growing up in an athletic family, we were always running from basketball, football, softball, track, etc. Even though my parents worked very hard, they always managed to make it to all of our events. They have always been very supportive and encouraging. They really taught me to believe in myself and have faith in God and keep that balance. This advice has brought me very far and has helped me to achieve so much. Read more>>

Kyle Shaw

My parents did everything under the sun for me. Both of them taught me very valuable lessons that apply to my life personally and professionally. My father taught me the element of hard work, I remember spending time at his house on the weekends and seeing him go into a smoldering hot factory to make sure my siblings and I had everything we needed. I did not understand it at the time but he was making a sacrifice to make sure I was able to mold my life into whatever I wanted and for that I will forever be grateful for him. Read more>>

Keon Mitchell

My mother, Debra Ann Mitchell, is a pioneer. She is the stronger fighter I know as a single parent beating al of the odds and catering to my education, moral foundation and my will. My mother had breast cancer in 1989. I was born in 1991 and the cancer returned in 1996 when I was five years old. I was able to witness her strength at a very early age. She stored that strength in me and showed me how to survive at all costs. Read more>>

Michaela Holdridge

Growing up, my mother was constantly telling me that one should be a life-long learner. She would say that you’re never too old to go back to school or note that it’s never too late to learn something new. She not only talked the talk, but she was a strong example of that rule she taught us to live by. As my siblings and I were growing up and dealing with our own primary schooling, my mother was taking classes. First to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, then Registered Nurse. Read more>>

Ayaka Prenton

Our family immigrated from Japan when I was 11. Initially, it was due to my dad’s temporary work assignment, but we ended up staying in the US permanently. Not being able to speak English and having had to start local middle school, I became exceptionally sensitive visually. I was very observant, and I truly longed for a way to communicate with others successfully. This is when I realized that I could express myself better by drawing what’s in my mind instead of trying to communicate verbally. It was a total game changer for me, because I became more confident in myself and learned the joy of being able to connect with others through my art/drawings. Read more>>

Brian Thompson

My parents have always been and are still hard workers. I was taught that if you want something, you have to work for it. To this day, I don’t think there is another club owner that works as hard as I do. I believe that the best way to lead and inspire is by being able and willing to do it yourself. Read more>>

Alicia Maynard

My parents always told me my life could be my choice. I could be a mom, a pilot, an athlete, an artist, or anything else I wanted to follow, my life could be my own. By three years old I had declared my desire to be a professional artist. My mother was adamant I attend college because she didn’t get to, but she didn’t object when I chose an art school. I later found out my dad had believed he was wasting money on art school. But he never breathed a word of it to me until years later when he felt I had ultimately made the right choice. Read more>>

Samuel Gomez

Growing up I would always see my parents get up early and come home late from work. As a kid you don’t realize the reasons why. One of the things I learned from my parents was to be a hard worker and to always give it your all. My mom always would tell me “if you’re going to do something, do it right, if not don’t do it at all” and that stuck with me. They also taught me to be myself and to stand up for what was right. Read more>>

Cap James

My father was a trained musician and vocalist, having attended The Eastman School of Music. He urged me to take piano when I was about 8. I did for about 2 years but found it too hard to read off 2 staffs and use all ten fingers and thumbs. Every Saturday evening my parents and I would watch The Lawrence Welk Show. I saw a cool looking white haired guy with black rimmed glasses playing the trumpet. I like the fact that the trumpet only played one note at a time, so I was hooked. Read more>>

Michelle Woods

I love this question. I was actually in yoga class tonight and started tearing up thinking about my mom. She passed away in December from Covid. It was totally unexpected and it left a huge hole in my life. Since, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on her legacy, what she left behind, and her influence on my life. Read more>>

Cleo Franklin

My parents were very supportive of my pursuits and aspirations. They always provided leeway for their children to figure out on their own the answer(s) or pathway we were seeking from school-related, personal development, and life, in general, growing up. For example, my father had a quote that resonates with me today that best illustrates this philosophy and it is, “You may be my dependent. But I will be damn if you will be dependent!” For some, that would be seen as cold, or hardcore, but for me…it helped me cultivate the power of resourcefulness, independence, and grit. Read more>>

Jaylah Whittaker

My mother and father are both successful people. They both are entrepreneurs, graduates with a doctorial degree and pillars in their community. They have taught me well and provided me with the tools I need to be a person with work ethic, integrity, drive and ambition. My parents are not perfect, but they try to model appropriate behaviors and provide me with many opportunities. Read more>>

Kathy Butler

This is such a timely question because I recently released a book titled My George: A Love Letter to My Dad. It is a compilation of stories that are a tribute to the man who raised me whom I affectionately call, George, and ALL the ways he got it right as my dad. He came into my life when I was very young and taught me so many valuable lessons. Read more>>

Deon Generette

My parents, as I always tell the story of 7Sunday, are a big reason why 7Sunday exist. Sundays were a day of bliss. My father was a pastor and my mother was head of the music ministry. We enjoy service and come home to a cooked meal. We’d enjoy family time and I would always find myself at the end of the night listening to the Big DM’s Quiet Storm of all the classic R&B music like Prince, LTD, Anita Baker, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Chaka Khan, Isley Brothers, Ojays, Micheal Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and many others. Read more>>

Claire Sexton

One of the most valuable lessons my dad taught me was just to fiddle around and figure out how something works. When I was probably 9, he built our family a computer desk in the garage and I spent a lot of time with him out there. He showed me the basics of carpentry and let me mess around with scraps while he did the harder stuff. He’s pretty handy but he was actually an early computer guy, doing renderings and projections for a major oil company using a program called SAS. Read more>>

Pujan Prajapati

So, this story starts way back in 2019, in Maasai Mara Kenya. It was the usual month of October and my dad and his friends had planned a trip to visit the nearby game reserve which is quite famous in the world. While on the trip, I took photos of the wildlife that I saw. My dad’s friend had a DSLR that he used to shoot(capture) animals. I also wanted to take a few photos and test my skills, also to capture the beauty that surrounded me. Read more>>

Lea Audrey

I am truly lucky to have the family that I have. My parents have always supported any creative venture that I have tried out. They have purchased art supplies, musical instruments, dance outfits, you name it. They have always shown up to support me at recitals and shows and that continues into my adulthood. Not only do they come to almost every single craft fair that I am a vendor at, but usually my mom helps me sell my work, too! My parents believe in my visions before they exist, and that is a magical thing to have in my life. Read more>>

Erin Bratcher

I am very fortunate to have grown up with two very supportive and encouraging parents. They were both the oldest of their siblings and took it upon themselves to create their own career paths by venturing out to trade schools and learning skills that would lead them to successful careers in the technology field. My dad was a small business owner himself which served as a great example for me as I started down the path of business ownership myself. Read more>>

Jason Regis

My parents used to always say “You only get one name.” The meaning behind this was to focus on always doing your best and the long term impact of how you handle yourself. I learned attention to detail and striving for excellence. If I came home with a 97/100, my dad would say “What did you get wrong?” instead of congratulations. Then I would write out the correction to what I got wrong 10 times. He also taught me how to start studying for my finals 3 months ahead of time. Read more>>

Robert Pope

My parents taught me to always be grateful. Gratitude is a discipline best experienced in both good times and the bad. My parents both biological and adopted displayed it regardless of any external factors. Also, character is of far more value than anything you can sell it for. Don’t trade it for something crazy like money, fame, power, sex and or the entire world. Read more>>

Dr. Phillip Morgan

My parents realized that their life was not all the way together to raise my siblings and I. They made sure we were surrounded by loved ones who could support, love, guide, and show us structure. From age 3 until I graduated college in 2009, my grandparents Connie and Alfred Sr. were my literally guardians. My grandmother was the first African-American/Native American woman to work in the Manalapan, NJ school education system. My grandfather turned down the NFL and MLB to raise his family because he was already on that Colin Kaepernick move. Read more>>

Heather Scott

My mom was my biggest encourager and I am sure that she has the best view from heaven, watching the creations that I have made and continue to make. I come from a single parent household; but I did not feel that I lacked anything. I was taught the value of hard work and saw that in my mother, as she worked six days a week and was also the caretaker for my grandmother. She taught me the value of being a person of integrity, which is incredibly important. In a world where people want to take shortcuts for instant gratification, Read more>>

Noelle Cameron

What my parents did right, is what they did wrong — specifically my mother, because my father died when I was young. My mother did not treat me with kindness the way we are told mothers are suppose to do. Don’t get me wrong, she believed in me and in my dreams, but she would rather dedicate money to sports rather than my passion for acting growing up. Read more>>

Jerome Howard

I grew up in a small south Ga town called Alamo, GA. We’re about two hours away from, what we would call, a big city. Macon is about an hour and 45 mins north and Savannah is about the same distance South. Being that far from the city, it’s a lot of experiences that we would naturally miss out on due to the fact nothing really comes through our town. Read more>>