Dear parents of entrepreneurs,
Where should we begin? There's so much to say. I guess the first thing that comes to mind is:
It must not be easy.
You know what I mean--the wondering.
Why did my child have to be different? Why couldn't they just finish college, like the other kids? Why couldn't they get a normal job? Work for someone else? Less worries. Less stress.
To answer your question, a lot of it is because of...how do I say this?
Well, it's because of you.
I know, not all of you owned your own businesses. But you taught us to give 110% in everything we do. You made sure we learned to make our own decisions. And to take responsibility for them. You taught us that we should try and do good for others. That we should try and do good for ourselves.
You said it was okay to be a dreamer. To see the world differently. To march to a different tune.
You told us: "It's better to take chances than to let life pass you by on the sidelines. It's okay to fail--as long as you learn from your mistakes."
You taught us that life was meant to be lived. Not regretted.
But now, you second guess a lot of those things. You feel that our work-life balance is all screwed up.
I know--it seems like we're always working.
But we really like what we do. Scratch that. We love what we do.
We're finally the ones in control. We don't feel pressure to compromise anymore, to do something just because 'the boss' wants us to. We're the boss. And we're good at it.
And believe us, the experience we're gaining is worth more than any MBA.
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Not every day is sunshine and roses. There are tough days. Man, are there tough days. But if we need a day off, we can take it. If our children want to play with us, or ask us to come see them practice for their dance recital or basketball game, we can do that.
Of course, it's taken us a while to figure that out. (Some of us still aren't there.) We don't always get it right. Loving our work can be dangerous. It's hard to pull away. For many of us, home is the office, and the office is home.
But don't give up on us. Keep reminding us about the importance of other things in life. Help us find balance.
We're listening, even when you think we aren't.
Last but not least, please know that we'll never forget the way you always made us feel:
That we can truly do anything if we put our mind to it.
Thanks, Mom and Dad. We'll try to make you proud.
Love,
Your little entrepreneur
