12 Stories of Parents Who Found the True Gift of Parenthood

Parenthood brings moments big and small that show us the true gift of raising children. Whether it’s a grand gesture or a simple act of love, these stories capture the heartwarming ways parents connect with their kids and what makes the journey so special.

• I’m in remission with Breast Cancer treatment. Mother’s Day, 2 years ago, my son told me he started growing his hair for me. Specifically, for a wig.
  I’ve always admired his hair. While my hair was thin, his was thick, really thick. He said while it wouldn’t make up for all I did for him growing up, it was something I always wanted. I’m crying.
  © Horror-Box-6014 / Reddit
• On my 50th birthday, my son (only child, single mom) got up at 4am and drove 2 hours home from college to wake me up and wish me Happy Birthday. He then drove 2 hours back to school to make an 8 am class.
  © GoodFriday10 / Reddit
• After my grandmother died, my youngest daughter took the only picture I had with her and painted it on a canvas for me. I was blown away by her talent but more so that she thought of me and did something that special for me. She only met my grandmother a couple of times, but she knew how much my grandmother meant to me so that was really touching.
  © ZetaWMo4 / Reddit

• I became a single father when my daughter was 12. A couple years after my daughter had moved out of the house, she gave me a Mother’s Day card with the message, “You have been the best Mother and Father I could have ever asked for.” It moved me to tears.
  © Prymordial-core1007 / Reddit
• I spent a month in hospital 2 years ago. 11 days on life support. My daughter stayed 3 weeks in the hospital with me, keeping me alive.
  She was an hour away from her 4 young children and only got to see them every few days. She made so many big and little decisions that ultimately saved my life, and every time I opened my eyes, there she was, holding my left hand and smiling at me.
  © DCJ53 / Reddit
• My daughter had severe speech delays and could only say about 20 words at 3 years old. After 6 months of intensive speech therapy at school, I heard the words I had been dreaming of hearing since I found out I was going to be a mom: “I love you, mama.” Still makes me emotional when I think about it. She’s my oldest so it was the very first time I’d ever heard those words.
  © badwolfmommy / Reddit

• I used to volunteer for my son’s elementary school. One day, I am waiting in line for a bus for a field trip with the kids, and some young woman runs up to me and says, “Are you [my son’s name] father? I just have to say, he is the kindest and friendliest boy, and we love him a lot! Thank you!” and she ran off.
  I turned to my son, and asked, “Who was that?” “Oh, the lunch line cashier,” he said. When I asked him why she liked him so much, he said, “Because I talk to her like a person. Other kids are mean to her, so I try to be nice.”
  My wife and I tried very hard to be a model of politeness, and instill in them that there are no low jobs, just hard workers. We’re always friendly to retail and restaurant staff, or just random people, so I was pretty proud that he picked that up.
  © punkwalrus / Reddit
• Last year during a class recital, my then 7-year-old son who has pretty severe ADHD was trying his best to stay focused. He wasn’t singing, but he was standing on stage, so I see that as a win.
  Right behind him was another student, she was clearly terrified with tears coming down her eyes. Not everyone can handle public singing!
  He turned and saw her and said something, reached out and held her hand. She stopped crying, and they held hands during the recital. I was so proud of him.
  © tchad78 / Reddit
• Years ago, when my son was 11 years old, my husband was away up north. I had strep throat and I couldn’t feed him dinner. I was so sick. I gave him some money to go to Subway and buy himself dinner.
  He got his Subway sandwich, then rode his bicycle through the McDonald’s drive-through so he could get me a milkshake for my sore throat. I still tear up to this day thinking about it.
  © MoneyMom64 / Reddit

• I offered to sell my house to help pay for my daughter’s dream vineyard wedding. It was the biggest way I could show my love. She refused and said she’d find another way.
  A month later, I got a surprising call telling me my daughter had sold some of her wedding gifts and made a generous donation in my name to a local charity that helps families struggling to keep their homes.
  When I asked her why, she said, “Mom, you always put others first. You taught me that a home means safety and love, not just a place to live. I wanted to honor you for that.”
• I was coaching my son’s (terrible) basketball team. Small program, very few kids who played, we were there for fun.
  One game we were losing by a lot, and the other coach put in this kid who was terrible at basketball. He told him to stand under the basket, don’t run up and down the court, just wait there. He had a few tries but didn’t score.
  Then, my son intentionally inbounded the ball to their kid, came onto the court and helped him shoot. He missed, crowd was making noise, my son got the rebounds for him, and gave it back to him until it went in.
  The kid was screaming, the crowd went crazy, parents and adults and players ran into the court. The ref looked at me. It was close to the end of the game, so I said just end it, and he unplugged the scoreboard.
  At one point, the other team had my son up in the air, carrying him around cheering. I was a crying mess on the bench and couldn’t have been more proud.
  © BackItUpWithLinks / Reddit
• I was a workaholic career mom and never had much time for my son. As the years passed, we grew distant. When I retired, I didn’t want to disrupt his life and decided to move to a retirement home.
  When I told him, I broke down in tears as he said, “Mom, I want to take care of you. Would you like to live with us? I’ve thought this is the right time for us to reconnect.”
  At first, I hesitated, unsure if I was imposing. But living together helped us bond like never before. He never blames me for the past and always appreciates everything I did for him. I can’t feel more loved.

These stories are a testament to the deep, enduring love that defines parenthood, whether through big gestures or small, everyday moments. If you’re looking for more heartwarming tales, check out 10 stories about parents who crossed all lines for their children.