A proud daughter has shared a special moment with her parents as they celebrated becoming debt-free on their home.
Stay-at-home mom Nia Lui, 31, was raised in Oregon and currently lives in Utah, where her parents, Michael and Maria Ricks, also live. Mr. Ricks, 61, is president of sales for a phone company; Mrs. Ricks, also 61, has a master’s degree in geriatric studies and advocates for senior citizens’ mental health and care.
Ms. Lui has four siblings: Hailey Rasmussen, 34, Taylor, 33, Shayla, 29, and Matthew, 25. When the Ricks family built their six-bedroom, four-bathroom home in 2000, the kids knew their parents didn’t fully own the house and were working hard to pay off the debt. On Dec. 29, 2023, they were finally able to make the last payment that made them debt-free.
“They were very open with their goals and what they were doing to achieve them,” Ms. Lui told The Epoch Times. “Their goal was to pay it off by 2023, so they did it before the new year. They were so excited to pay it off. They came home beaming and talking about how proud they were of themselves and their future plans.”
Ms. Lui was at her parents’ home when they returned from their last trip to the bank. Seeing them gleaming with happiness, Ms. Lui began to film them as “Our House” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young played in the background. In the now-viral video, her dad is seen humming the lyrics while gesturing to their beloved home, and her mom is spotted walking into her husband’s arms. The pair then danced together in celebration.
“It was such an amazing moment, and the song was perfect,” Ms. Lui said, explaining why she filmed the moment. “I thought they may want to remember the moment and relive it.”
“We’ve watched them our whole lives work so hard for what they want; it was a long time coming,” Ms. Lui said. “We have so much love for them so to see them accomplish this goal made us all so happy for them.”
“It’s been a long time coming, a lot of work and sacrifice,” Mr. Ricks said, “but we haven’t stopped living during that time. We’ve enjoyed life.”
“We just budgeted the fun,” Mrs. Ricks said.
In response to the overwhelming reaction, Ms. Lui told The Epoch Times: “It has been so fun to read the comments, I feel so proud and motivated. It makes me and my husband want to work hard and do the same one day.”
Sharing more about her parents’ personalities, she said “[They are] so loving and kind ... always willing to help their family and friends in need.”
Growing up on their small farm plot, Ms. Lui and her siblings learned how to work hard, take care of animals, and serve the community by helping their neighbors.
“We were all very close and did a lot together,” Ms. Lui said. “We were taught to work hard and play hard. If we wanted anything extra that wasn’t a necessity, we had to buy it ourselves. We all had jobs through high school and were responsible for our own gas, phones, and extras.”
