There is no pride like a parent’s pride. My mother wanted me to be a lawyer and I suspect she was disappointed when I became a business executive instead. At least that’s how she appeared until I became a VP of HR at a big fancy gaming company – after that, she never failed to tell employees she’d meet there “I’m Arte Nathan’s mother”. Food servers, valet parking attendants, slot attendants, whoever. At first, I didn’t think that was appropriate, but then I understood that you don’t have to be famous, you just have to make your mother and father proud of you. And then I was thrilled that she felt that way. During my career there, this was validated many times over: I often met the parents of our Employee of the Year winners, and the pride on their faces was obvious and glowing. And when I’d see an employee showing their parents where they worked, I’d greet them by name; they were so proud that a company executive knew their child by name. I catch myself feeling the same way when seeing my daughter’s and granddaughters’ successes – there’s no better pride than that. Next time you see someone with their parents, tell them how much you appreciate and respect their child. That’s one of the best ways to make a parent’s day today.
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born 1949): American actress who has received 21 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and 34 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning eight.
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