Nobody told me

Nobody told me growing up that I COULD reach certain goals or what goals I SHOULD strive for.

My parents were born in the early 1900's , my mom lived in early childhood with lanterns to light up her home and a outhouse in the back of her house. Her dad had a good size garden in which they mostly lived of off. Both my parents lived through the great depression and my father's family was bitten by the alcoholism bug. His brother died at an early age from it and it quickened my father's death.
Both my parents were good people that worked hard their whole life and tried to not hurt others, though through alcoholism my father hurt himself and those that loved him but we know what the disease can do to you, but he never intentionally set out to hurt anyone and he got up to work everyday.

They never set goals for me and let me know the education was important or that college was not only obtainable but needed. In their eyes if you had a job that was good enough. Just work hard and be honest. That was the foundation they poured. Looking back sure I wish they had showed me more of a path and help set goals but to them college was something for the rich. There was no way they could help pay and had no way to even know how to start the process so it was not their fault.

Kids need direction and someone to encourage and show them the path. They are never to young. Allow them to reach for the stars. There is nothing out there that is not obtainable.

I had to learn all of that on my own. Again through no fault of my parents it was just a different generation. They literally grew up not knowing where their next meal would come from, do you really think they had the opportunity to dream big? Dreaming was a hot meal on a winter's night.

Yes, many of our inner city kids and others in small Town America that still feel this today and yet we expect them to go to school and college and to get a education.

Reach out to them if you can, encourage them. Never mind your money, your words and actions are worth much more. Let them know that they CAN do it, that they can obtain whatever they dream. Start when they are young and continue to make it a mantra ... if they can dream it they can obtain it.