One day I realized that my parents weren’t…

One day I realized that my parents weren’t just “my parents,” as I had always selfishly seen them— they were “themselves,” living their own lives for 23/25 years before I was born. And, though they became “my parents” after I came into their lives, they were still “themselves” with the selfish need to take care of themselves when their problems were bigger than me and had nothing to do with me. One thing I can say for my dad is that he never gave me a moment’s doubt that he loved me. I appreciate everything he did to teach me, to guide me, and to show me love. We are all human, flawed, limited, and brilliant in our own way.