As I look out the plane window approaching over 10,000 ft, I find it hard to choke back tears & the frog in my throat. Because of our wonderful daughters, we’re traveling home from a beautiful week in Oahu.

Sacrifice is Part of the Dream

They had dreams and we made sure they reached for them. When they both wanted to go study abroad, I thought to myself, “How am I going to get them there?” However, the Universe has a way. We kept moving forward, putting our request out to God, and we were heard.

Our daughters could have & should have booked this trip for themselves. They sacrificed so much through high school by missing dances and football games in order to participate in their sports. As the years went by, they took every AP (advanced placement) course they could in order to save in college and establish themselves as scholar athletes.

Receiving Their Gift of Love

After one receiving an MBA, and another receiving her MA & working towards her PhD, they should have been the ones soaking up the sun and celebrating their dreams and accomplishments. It turned out they presented us with tickets instead.

As they handed us the surprise gift, they offered up how much they appreciated us saving and sacrificing to send them back to their east coast colleges every fall. Since we made sure to get them home for the holidays, they wanted to give back to us.

Good Parenting Reaps Its Rewards

As parents, you want to be the one giving elaborate gifts like this; not your children. It was probably the best feeling in the world looking at the itinerary folded with a bow and sitting in the Christmas tree. Even though it should have been them traveling and enjoying their accolades, we were in awe.

We truly saw what wonderful daughters they turned out to be. While one was moving into a new apartment with her fiancé in bitter east coast cold and the other spending every waking minute studying for her exams for her PhD, we were the ones floating in Waikiki at our favorite spot near Diamond Head.

Parenting Means Loving Unconditionally

Parenting is probably the hardest job on earth. But if you raise them by giving them a sense of community, love for self & family, along with practicing how to be responsible individuals in every moment, you may find yourself soaking up the sun’s rays and living the aloha life. By being the example for your children, you’re not only creating a loving person for others to see, but for the world to see and emulate.

Although raising scholar athletes comes with a bit more focus, perseverance, and mindset, my parenting book still offers the important steps and ways of raising responsible individuals. It is titled Parenting Scholar Athletes and can be read for free on wattpad.com.  Also, read my parenting tips found on my blog, www.pilarkellenbarger.com. I hope the stories of their struggles and hardships within the chapters as well as my experiences as a mom help you to raise the best positive children possible.