My husband and I were both helped by our parents. That's why we aren't living in squalor today. We haven't made great financial decisions, but we were able to buy a house back in the day with money my parents left me, and that's kept us afloat ever since. I used to feel guilty about it, but then I heard Obama talk about how Black Americans haven't been able to pass on generational wealth to their children at the same rate as other groups, and I realized it's a laudable goal that should be encouraged. We are trying to do the same for our children. Too many rich people think they earned their wealth and that anyone can do the same by simply going to work. They don't recognize the influence luck and privilege has played in their lives.