What My Parents Taught Me
This Sunday is National Parents Day. And I hate to brag, but I think I pretty much have the best parents I could ever ask for. My parents have helped mold and shape me into the person I am today, and I couldn't be more thankful for their support and love over the years.
While some of the things my parents taught me were through verbal lessons, the most important things were through their actions. Their kindness, love and honesty are some of the biggest values I learned that I still carry with me today.
Work hard, don't hardly work. My parents are some of the most motivated, hard working people I know. As small business owners, they are always on the clock. We were taught the value of a dollar and hard work growing up as my parents have worked so hard for everything that they provided us with, and I couldn't be more thankful as I know this has helped my business more than anything else.
They taught me how to be supportive. Both of my parents are small business owners, so I've grown up around it my whole life. There were so many times where I had other people in my life tell me I was crazy for wanting to start my own business or that there was no way it would ever work. Never once did my parents tell me that I shouldn't pursue this dream. They supported me in every way possible from the very beginning.
Honesty is the best policy. As kids if we did something bad, we always tried to hide it. If we hid it, we got in so much more trouble than if we just came out and told my parents what really happened. I mean, we would still get in trouble, but my parents were always open to talking about the situation: what happened, why it happened, why we are being punished, etc. To me, being honest and accountable for my actions makes me more responsible for myself and to my clients.
They taught me unconditional love. My parents have been there for me through the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. They love the crazy, goofy, weird person (I like to tell them that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!) that I am and are proud of me as long as I am happy. They never try to make me something I'm not, and just want what's best for me.
Be Yourself. This is huge. Both of my parents know who they are and are always just themselves, and I absolutely LOVE that. For example, when my dad goes out to stores or a restaurant, if he speaks to someone random about anything at all, he always finishes the conversation with 'Have a nice life.' He claims that chances are he will never see that person again in his life, but since they had a nice conversation, he wants to wish them all the best in the future. It's the weirdest thing, and I'll admit, we always make fun of a little bit when he does it. But secretly, I love that he does that even if we give him a hard time. And my mom- her laugh is the best. It's a loud, belly laugh and you know exactly where she is in the room at all times, but it makes me so happy to make her laugh by doing stupid things with her. She doesn't try to hide it or be quieter, she just is who she is.
I hope it really is true that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, because I like to think that I'm just as weird and goofy as they are (if not more so), and that I got at least some of their hard working, kind, honest traits. They taught me so much growing up and continue to teach me every day. I would not be where I am today without them.
Don't forget to call your parents for National Parents Day on Sunday!
Quick note: Next week is my vacation (YAY!) so there will be no blog posts! I'm taking the week off to get some stuff done on the back-end here at Twila and maybe even get some new designs done! YAY! Have a great week, ya'll!
