Understanding Parental Pride Beyond Words

When I was young, I dreamed of making my parents proud by graduating from high school and a Historically Black College or University, which I accomplished through God's grace. Another dream was to write a bestselling book and appear on Oprah Winfrey's show; the book is written, but Oprah hasn't called yet. Despite graduating, I always questioned if I made my parents proud, as they never explicitly said so, even though they attended my graduations and congratulated me. I've realized that striving solely for their approval was heavy, and by college, I felt unattractive and over 300 pounds. I learned that my parents expressed pride in their own ways, like calling me "their baby girl," which I now understand was their version of saying they were proud of me. It's important to recognize heartfelt expressions, even if they don't sound as expected.