Devin:
- I had a friend in 3rd grade who had a rock-throwing/kid-punching/appropriation problem. “Devin, you are who your friends are,” my dad would say. I knew from a young age that I would become what I surround myself with.
- All things speaking- & language-related were big in my house. “Enunciate!” My dad did NOT approve when we mumbled, and we were quickly corrected if we used poor grammar.
- I was presented with a lot of heinie-related proverbs in my youth. “Keep your head and your heinie down” (when fielding a ground ball). “Devin, put your heinie in him” (when rebounding/boxing out in basketball). I guess
- I learned what it means to serve others by watching my mom. She has always given her time, resources, and energy to selflessly care for those around her.
- And one of the best bits of wisdom I ever received from my dad: “Take care of your mom and treat her well.”
Autumn:
- D.I.N. (Do It Now!) was my dad’s favorite phrase to throw at my brother and me when we tried to put any task off that he knew we’d end up forgetting to do.
- For as long as I can remember, my parents have always done anything they can to help the ones closest to them. They’ve taught me to pay it forward.
- During college, I was shocked to learn meal helpers like Hamburger Helper and brownie mixes existed. My mom has always cooked from scratch and passed along the passion for cooking and baking.
- I’ve learned to enjoy the simple things in life. All you need for a good day is a board game and laughter (and maybe homemade ice cream).
- From creating to fixing, my parents know how to do just about everything. From a young age, I’ve been inspired never to stop learning how to do things for myself.
