Growing up, I watched my parents struggle on a daily basis to provide for my brother and me. Most of our childhood, my parents lived paycheck to paycheck. And I’m sure they were stressed out, but they never let it show.
There were even times my parents were forced to choose between feeding us and paying the bills and buying us gifts on holidays. While it’s a no brainer answer, it’s still a problem parents don’t want to face. No one wants to disappoint their child by telling them, “I’m sorry, but we can’t afford any presents.” I know. I’ve been there, but a special someone helped me and for that I will always be grateful.
And it was during those times my parents faced that the kindness of others touched our lives and left a mark on me that will never go away. People we knew and considered family helped us out. Not because we asked but because they wanted to make a difference. Their generosity taught us a valuable lesson.
I’ve also seen my parents help me out on more than one occasion now that I’m grown. So many times they have gone out and purchased my kids clothing and supplies for school. They’ve bought my daughter diapers when she needed them. They were always there to help out and lend a hand, and I can’t thank them enough for that.
Now that I’m a parent and stepparent, I want to teach all of our kids, including my stepchildren, how important it is to Pay It Forward. I’ve mentioned my boyfriend and I’s values in a previous post, but I wanted to revisit it again real quick because of the video below from Life Vest Inside, which my boyfriend came across while at work today.
The video’s message is perfect.
Whatever you put out into this world will come back to you.
You reap what you saw.
Karma exists.
If you have not seen the Life Vest Commercial yet, I strongly recommend you watch it as a family.
And remember…
We have an obligation to teach our children about the importance of doing kind acts for others.
We have an obligation to teach our children that no matter how bad we have it in life, no matter the issues we face, there is always someone out there who has it worse.
We have an obligation to teach our children that our life circumstances can change in the blink of an eye. And all that we have can be lost, and one day we may be the one in need of a helping hand, so don’t shun or look down upon those in that position now.
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To find out more about Life Vest Inside, visit their official website where you can read more about their mission and their Indiegogo campaign.