“I learned that a real friendship is not about what you can get, but what you can give. Real friendship is about making sacrifices and investing in people to help them improve their lives.” ― Eric Thomas

 

I think business and friendship have similar objectives. When we pursue friendships—be it platonic or romantic—we want to always be and show our best selves. We want to be thought of, remembered and called upon when needed.

Businesses that embody these traits rise to the top of the list in the hearts and minds of the community. They’re the first ones who come to mind when our new neighbors ask for childcare references, when a parent on the soccer team needs an orthodontist for her daughter and when our cars ping and rattle and scare us senseless while on the highway. 

As is our custom at Fredericksburg Parent & Family, we honor these businesses every July in our Family Favorite’s issue. This year, our seventh year, we’re honoring many of the same categories we’ve always esteemed, plus one more—our COVID response category. This category celebrates the professionals and businesses who rose to the occasion when the pandemic locked us all down.

And that brings us back to the quote from Eric Thomas, also known as ET the Hip Hop Preacher. Good businesses and professionals who want to be memorable in the eyes of the community are sacrificial, going above and beyond to please their customers. They invest in the people they hire, taking the time to train them well since their employees reflect the ownership. And they give more than they take, putting money back into the community by supporting programs and nonprofits, and not just amassing profits for themselves. These are the businesses you’ll find within the pages of this issue, businesses you voted to honor. 

To all the great businesses and professionals recognized as Family Favorites by our readers, we thank you for being the best services in our family-friendly community.