1. “I was no stranger to the fact that my father had injured himself in the war, leaving him mobile but unable to use his hands or upper body properly. I did not know, however, that he had been a renowned painter before he enlisted in the military. People would come to visit him for portraits, and his paintings were revered by many. He wouldn’t have gone into the war if it weren’t for me. He was compelled to help create a world that was peaceful for his young daughter, and he succeeded at the cost of never being able to paint again. My father gave up his passion for me, he gave up a good career for my future, but he always made it clear that I was the best piece of art he ever created. He never regretted his decision.” — Johana

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2. “My mother has always been a hardworking, successful female. She held a high-power job when females simply didn’t hold high-power jobs, and worked to provide for my sisters and I as a single mother. I just found out recently that she did it all without a high-school diploma. She went from failing math class four times to becoming a leader in the creation of formula and software development for multi-billion dollar companies. My mother is the epitome of a badass female. She pushed herself and let no one make her feel small, and she ended up coming out on top. We were always her motivation.” — Alessia

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3. “Growing up I remember moving a lot. I never put much thought into this because a lot of people moved around where we were from due to the large developments that were being made in neighbourhoods at the time. One night over coffee my mom asked me if I had ever felt sad about how poor we were, and I started laughing. I never knew we were poor. Soon I found out that we moved because our homes were always taken from us, and that my parents had to beg relatives for food at times just to make sure I was eating properly. My mother and father worked five jobs just to keep us afloat, and I had absolutely no clue. Things at home were always light, they were always so fun. My parents never let their stress show to ensure that I was happy, they always made sure I had everything a young boy could have ever dreamed of.” — Anonymous

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4. “I grew up without a mother because she sacrificed her life for mine. When doctors informed my parents that they would not be able to save both my mother and I, my mother boldly told them to focus on me. The decision came with no hesitation according to my Father. She left peacefully with a smile on her face. A few days before she went into labor they had decided to call me Nia, which means purpose.” — Nia

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5. “My parents didn’t have to cross an ocean to make a better life for me. We always had food on the table, we were always very close. I didn’t grow up in devastation, in a war zone. My parents came from normal families, and worked very hard to make something of themselves. However, I still appreciate how much they sacrificed for me because as a parent the minute you bring someone into this world, you stop living for yourself and you start living for something bigger. They had no guidelines, and they were children raising children. They had no youth, they had to grow up so much faster than I did. There is no way that couldn’t have been stressful, there’s no way that was easy. I love my parents so much for simply just giving it their all.” — Daniell

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