Is there something you wish your parents had sat you down and taught you when you were young?

From a very early age, I knew how to cook, clean, do laundry, iron clothes, tend a garden, and know when the vegetables were ready to pick. I also learned the basics of sewing. The funny thing is, I don’t remember ever being taught any of it. My parents taught by example, not by lecture. I watched, I learned, and eventually I did the work myself.

The only verbal lesson I clearly remember hearing was simple: “Be good.” So I was. I never got in trouble. Truth be told, I was probably too scared to get in trouble. My parents never explained what would happen if I misbehaved, but the looks they gave—especially my mother—were enough.

Mom and I never had the birds-and-bees talk. I asked several times, and each time she said, “I’ll tell you when you’re older.” I’m not sure how old she had in mind, but by the time I reached high school, we still hadn’t had the conversation. In the end, it didn’t matter. I figured it out myself.

The words”chores” and “allowance” were never spoken in our house. Chores were simply what needed to be done, and allowance was something rich people gave their children. My parents didn’t sit us down for heart-to-heart talks or offer much advice. When my first boyfriend broke my heart by seeing someone else, my mother’s response was short and practical: get over it—you’re not the only person who’s ever been bumped.

As I grew older and heard friends describe the conversations and guidance they received from their parents, I sometimes felt I had missed out. For a while, I carried resentment about that. Eventually, I realized I needed to stop focusing on what I didn’t have and look more honestly at what my parents did give me.

They were always present.

They were devout Catholics.

They worked hard and sacrificed a lot.

They spent time with our large extended family.

They were kind to people.

And most importantly, they loved me.

I’ll end on a lighter note. There is one thing I truly wish they had taught me: how to speak Czech. Instead, I learned only one important phrase and one even more important word from my dad.

Jak se máte? means how are you?

Pivo means beer.

So really, what else did I need to know?

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