ActiveRain March Challenge: Life Lessons from Parents
Patricia Feager and Lew Corcoran are the hosts for the "March 2025 ActiveRain Challenge: Sharing the Gift of Who You Are." The ActiveRain challenge is to share the profound impact someone had on you in shaping you to who you are today.
During this second week of the ActiveRain March Challenge, my thoughts turn to the life lessons I learned from my parents. When we are young, we sometimes have no idea of the impact that the actions of our parents will have on our lives as adults.
Yesterday, I received this email comment from my younger sister, Wynne Roos: "I learned from Daddy's example of being kind and friendly to everyone he encountered. He "never met a stranger." I learned from our mother to listen to people, especially to those who were hurting or lonely, and to try to encourage them. and also to extend hospitality. There are many other inspirations that I think of from time to time."
My parents always cherished family relationships and stayed in close contact with family members. When I was young, we frequently visited the homes of our local family members in Virginia and they also visited our home. My father frequently took me with him to visit his family members in the countryside and nearby North Carolina. When there were disagreements among family members, my parents were the ones who tried to resolve the differences and we were never distanced by disagreements.
My father was always ready to help families in need. He often delivered groceries to local families needing assistance. My father was a police officer for many years and did his best to keep young people out of trouble. He made sure that I was involved with interesting activities as well. My scouting experiences were meaningful and I really enjoyed participation in the junior rifle club activities.
We always had the benefits of a comfortable home. My mother was a stay at home wife and mother. Her entire life was focused on the care of my father and her children. My mother was a wonderful cook and every meal was enjoyable. She always prepared a bag lunch for me to take to school and I do not recall ever purchasing a lunch at the school cafeterias.
One of the most important lessons from my parents was their practice of purchasing real estate for investment. My father was always seeking real estate opportunities and over years acquired a number of residential and business properties including the building that would become the location of my first real estate office. When my father passed away, he left a portfolio that would provide for the needs of his family.
Lily, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania USA IMG 1076
Canon PowerShot G11 Camera
Photograph by Roy Kelley
Roy and Dolores Kelley Photographs
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