Love from a parent can poses many forms such as quiet sacrifices, tough choices, and unspoken strength during the deepest times. In this article, we will collect 11 stories which remind us that this strength of love isn’t always loud or easy, but it’s deeply authentic. Each one displays the powerful connection between parents and their children, even when life takes unpredicted turns.

Story 1:

When I failed my first year at university, my parents didn’t get angry or upset. My mom sat down next to me while I was bawling my eyes out in shame, and hugged me until I calmed down. She said it wasn’t the end of my life, and that she was, and always will be, proud of me. © forgetful-giraffe / Reddit

Story 2:

My mom told me that no matter what I did, she’d always love me and be there for me. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t tell me when I messed up, because she did, but she’d help me work out whatever problem I made for myself, while still letting me learn a lesson.

That meant I always turned to her instead of some other teenagers when I was young and needed help. I was only minimally afraid to tell her when I did something wrong, and I never felt judged. Doing my best to build that same type of relationship with my own daughters. © actuallyidontthinkso / Reddit

Story 3:

Story 4:

My dad worked seven days a week, twelve hours a day, at two different hospitals for a large portion of my childhood. The man would get sick if he was on vacation; he called it “motionless sickness.” Somehow, he still managed to wake up several hours early and make me and my sister breakfast before school.

He was a strong believer in working hard and set so many examples for me while also being a child at heart. I don’t know how he did it, but I love him. © TurtleFisher54 / Reddit

Story 5:

My parents sacrificed their own pursuits, interests, time, hobbies, friends, and careers to invest in me as a child and young adult. Regardless of what they were doing, they made themselves available if I needed them.

They are extremely supportive in every endeavor of mine. They are quick to share their experiences and wisdom. They’ve never judged me or looked down on me when I had to learn a lesson the hard way (even if I did something against their advice). They have been teachers, guides, mentors, and friends. © Minimalcharges / Reddit

Story 6:

Story 7:

When I was little, we lived near a freeway. I asked my mom one time how far the freeway went, and where we would be if we just got on it and kept driving.

She had a map. Did she show it to me? Nope. She said, “Let’s see.”

We hopped in the car and drove for hours until we were both tired of it, THEN pulled out the map and found a route home along the shore of one of the US Great Lakes. This was in the 80s, before GPS or cellphones.

I was maybe 10, and she let me navigate home. She could have just told me or shown me on the map without leaving the couch, but she wanted me to know… © Panic_Azimuth / Reddit

Story 8: 

I’m the youngest of 5 kids. I knew my mom had a miscarriage before my oldest sister, but she never spoke of it. She is an extremely private person, she never talks about anything that has ever hurt her in the past, it’s just not how she was raised.

But after I lost my baby, she talked to me. She talked to me so much. I needed it more than anything. She said it took until that moment, 47 years later, for her miscarriage to make sense. It was so I had someone to go to. © dindia91 / Reddit

Story 9: 

Story 10: 

I gave birth prematurely, my baby was in the NICU, and I had to stay in the hospital. My husband kept telling me how perfect our baby is.

2 weeks later, I asked the nurse if I could finally see my child. She turned pale and said, “Don’t you know that your baby didn’t make it? Your husband never saw her, because your daughter di:ed just moments after she was born.” I froze.

My entire world turned upside down.

When I asked my husband, he broke down in tears. He told me he had li:ed to protect me. I was already vulnerable, and he knew how much this child meant to me. He was terrified I wouldn’t survive if I knew the truth.

I was truly devastated. And maybe… maybe he did the right thing after all. The thought of seeing my newborn was what gave me the strength to stay alive and make it through those days in the hospital. I had named her Eva.

Story 11: 

My only good parent was my mom. I say it like that because I’ve had two stepdads. She was a great mother even though we had nothing. Rent was hard to make, and sometimes we’d go without water and electricity.

I never knew there was anything wrong with this; my mom never put any thoughts of worry or panic into my head and made me feel that everything was alright. I grew up with amazing memories and a happy childhood, although I went without most of the time because my mother never looked at life negatively. © Unknown author / Reddit