Fashion Friday: American Dreamer

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It’s that time again – Fashion Friday Story promotion. We are focusing on being an American Dreamer.

My father who is Hmong migrated here in the 1980’s from Laos. His family along with many other families were fleeing the Lao communist during the Vietnam War. Growing up he would always tell my sisters and I that we needed to focus on our educations so we can live the “American Dream”. He constantly instilled in us that having a good education is going to get us far in life. He wanted us to be able to have financial freedom so that we didn’t have to go through the hardship he had to endure. Along with instilling us with having a good career, he instilled in us the importance of family. He said no matter what life throws at you, your family will always be there. They are your backbone. They are the ones that you lean on when you hit rock bottom.

Because of all the talks my father had with my sisters and I – I graduated school, got married and now working on having my own business. Today, I want to show to my daughter that by working hard, having dedication and reaching for her goals, she too can live her American Dream. To me the American Dream is full of ups and downs, hardships and fulfillment, sadness and laughter, all the while being true to yourself, true to who you are and what you stand for. It’s all about family and having a good career but most importantly it’s about how you live your American Dream!!

To kick off the storytelling, Cents of Style CEO Courtney has written her personal American Dreamer story:

“I must study Politics and War that my sons may have liberty to study Mathematics and Philosophy. My sons ought to study Mathematics and Philosophy… in order to give their Children a right to study Painting, Poetry (and) Music…” – John Adams

My grandmother was born in 1908 in Salt Lake City; just 60 years after the Mormon Pioneers entered this valley to find their own American Dream. My grandmother was widowed young. She worked hard as a school secretary to support herself and her five children, though she never earned more than $10,000 a year. However, she consistently emphasized the importance of education and travel, things she never really got to do.

My mother earned a college degree and spent a good portion of her late teens and early 20s seeing the world. She then married and stayed at home with her 6 children. During this time, she created several small businesses as her children grew up. Those businesses gave my mother some extra pocket money and personal fulfillment outside of her family responsibilities.

It’s in the wake of these two great women that I have been building my own American Dream. It’s because of their sacrifices and examples that I was brave enough to begin my own company. A company that now, not only supports my family, but that of 30 other American Dreamers, like myself. We are women who say that the American Dream is both family and career. It is both hard work and happiness pursued. It is a life bold and full.

And like my mothers before me, I do what I do for my children. I work hard so that they not only hear, but see, that they can pursue and accomplish their own American Dream through hard work and perseverance. So that someday my daughter can break through the barriers of mental illness and rise up and live her own bold and full life.

I do it so my son, who loves art, technology, and fantasy, can choose to go to art school and perhaps become a digital illustrator and pave his own beautiful path. And I do it for my youngest, with all his incredible smarts and privilege, so he can not only pursue his own dream, but also know that the American Dream is for all.

The American Dream is one of failure and mistakes. It is paving your own path through those mistakes to create a beautiful life for yourself. And if you are lucky, a beautiful life for generations to come.

For Fashion Friday tomorrow, June 10th, Get a American Dreamer shirt for FREE with any $30 purchase. Plus, you get FREE SHIPPING. My Cents of Style Fashion Friday collection will be full of their favorite Americana products – which is perfect timing with the 4th of July coming up.

Fashion Friday Story – 6/10/16 – American Dreamer – FREE Shirt with any $30 purchase + FREE SHIPPING.

** PLEASE NOTE: the FREE shirt will be offered with a pop-up upon checkout with any purchase that is $30 or more. This offer is not valid with any other coupon code or promotion. Limit one shirt per order/customer. Only one free shirt will ship per order. My Cents of Style will ensure that each qualified order receives the free t-shirt. **