We all know our parents sacrificed a lot to help us get to where we are today, but that's especially true for the children of immigrants.
And because of this, we know we should be thanking (and helping out) our parents as much as we can, to show our appreciation for their many sacrifices and hard work.
One travel writer recently took that to heart when she gave her father the vacation of his dreams.
Christina Guan, a second-generation Canadian, recently posted about the incredible Father's Day gift she gave her immigrant dad, who had always dreamed of staying at a luxury hotel on Lake Louise, Alta.
Guan took to her blog, Happy to Wander, and her Facebook page, to describe what it was like being able to give back to her father.
"My parents immigrated to Canada in their early 20s, and all throughout my childhood, they ran a restaurant," Guan explained in her Facebook post. "Because vacation time was limited, it was really rare that we ever went on trips as an entire family. One of the few times we did this was a trip to the Rocky Mountains - one of my earliest childhood memories. I remember seeing Lake Louise for the first time and being blown away by the colour of the water, a shade of blue like I'd never seen in my entire life. On that lake, there was a beautiful castle-esque building, a hotel that was (of course) out of reach for our budget. My parents told me: 'One day, when you're grown up and make lots of money, we can stay at a nice hotel like that.'"
That hotel was the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a luxury establishment, where rooms can run from $900 a night during the summer.
One day, when you're grown up and make lots of money, we can stay at a nice hotel like that.
Fast forward to Father's Day 2017, when Guan's parents told her they were going to the Rockies again. Immediately, she started thinking about what she could do to make their trip special.
"I may not be a rich, successful lawyer like my parents wanted, but I am a girl who has turned her naively ambitious dreams into a career," she wrote on her blog. "All I've ever wanted in my life was to make my parents proud... and while that's not the easiest thing when blogging and social media are puzzles to them, I knew a way to make it happen... By surprising them with that gorgeous hotel, just like I had promised all those years ago."
After working with the Fairmont to arrange for accommodations for her parents, Guan finally told her dad about her surprise gift, by giving him a letter explaining where they'd be staying.
"[My dad] immediately ran into the house to cancel our previous hotel reservation, but secret mama sources say he didn't want me to see him cry," she wrote.
I may not be a rich, successful lawyer like my parents wanted, but I am a girl who has turned her naively ambitious dreams into a career.
Guan explained that although her parents originally wanted her to have a more stable job, they've been nothing but supportive of her burgeoning career as a travel writer. And she believes this gift to them is just the start of her giving back to her parents.
"The truth is: I've been all over the world now, and I have not once truly said thank you to my parents for their pivotal role in that."
"I don't want to wake up one day and regret never having gotten to know my parents as human beings, more than just 'Mom' and 'Dad.' I don't want to feel as if I've failed to express my gratitude and appreciation for everything they've done.
"So although this weekend was short, I was able to spoil them every chance I could. From ordering their first ever room service, to drinking bubbly with the world's best view... And you know what? I really hope this is just the start."
We're not crying, you're crying!