They say it takes a village to raise children. My mom always said, once there were three of us, there might as well have been 18 because she and my dad were already outnumbered. Well, I'm currently 21-years-old, and I still have a lot to learn, but I can say for a fact that my parents did a damn good job with me and my siblings.
I was raised in a family who provided so much love and support to me all the time, no matter what. The love my parents share is really special, and I have realized that their love and support has set the bar for love extremely high because when I watch the way my Dad treats my Mom, us kids, and everyone else in his family and life, I know that I am worthy of the same love. Honestly, I wish this was the standard for everyone, but I understand that it's not, and I also understand why it's hard to see your worth sometimes.
A close family friend once told me that I am not entitled to anything, but that I am worth everything. Please consider this for a moment. It's taken me years of hard work to believe in my worth and to see the good things about myself. I still have work to do, and I likely always will, but I am starting to realize that I am worthy of the best.
My family always goes above and beyond. Even though I go to school 5 hours from home in Pittsburgh, and even though I spend a lot of time traveling, I know my family is always there for me. So, I might be slightly biased, but I would venture to say that I have the greatest family in the world. They have shown me how important it is to strive for my best all the time, work towards my goals, help other people, spread love, show compassion, and emulate generosity.
My dad is the greatest, strongest, fairest, and smartest man I know. He has taught me about the importance of a strong work ethic, and how to balance work, family, and fun. When I was little, he always came home and played basketball with me after work, even though he was probably exhausted. He always made time to come to my soccer games—he showed up. He loves to hold cocktail hour in the library whenever I'm home, and once this past spring, when I desperately needed a dad hug, he drove out to see me just to meet me for a nice dinner one night. He didn't ask too many questions, he just rearranged his busy schedule and made a reservation. He told me that, "when his people need him, he comes."
My mom has ensured that my siblings and I know to pursue our own passions and dreams. Her creativity and care for everyone around her has always inspired me to work towards my best self, and to give generously to others. She always says that I can't expect someone to love me until I love myself and that I must know my worth and not look to someone else for it. She's said that it's okay to be a strong woman who can rely on herself, but that it's just as okay to ask for help. These are words to live by. Whenever I am home, we always do fun things together including shopping trips, spa trips, lunch dates, and of course the simple things too like morning coffee in the garden, or wine in the afternoons.
I love any chance I have to spend time with my family. My parents always take me out for dinners or other meals because they love having all of us together. They know my coffee order, they know what snacks I love to eat, and of course where I'll probably want to go as well.
They have taught me that I am not entitled to anything, that life is a gift, and that nothing is guaranteed, but that I am worth everything. They have shown me how important it is to be humble and to give back to the community whether that be through time, money, or value in any other way that can impact someone else's life positively. They're the best ever, and I try to help out as much as I can. I just want to take away some of the daily chores of life from my parents such as cleaning, laundry, picking up my younger brother, going to the grocery store, etc. I feel like it's the very least I can do, after everything they have done and continue to do for me. Plus, I enjoy helping out.
My parents have set the bar for love and life extremely high, and when I think towards my future I hope to do the same for my family one day.
