Autonomy. In one word, that is what I can say the biggest blessing was that my parents gave me and my siblings.

The freedom to be who we want, follow the paths we dream of and become whatever it is that our hearts desire. We were raised in a household that allowed to us mold ourselves to our own set of rules. Of course, my parents had basic morals instilled in us, and we were punished when deemed fit, such as fighting with a sibling or talking back to a teacher, but I was never the kid who avoided bringing home the failing grade. I was the kid who was applauded for the A’s and B’s. There were no expectations of me, not to be a cheerleader, to make honor roll or for my brothers to make quarterback. We could pursue what we wanted when we wanted. Our curfews were nonexistent, allowing us to explore the depths of the night and see the sunrise over our experiences. With only wise words to guide our actions, we would have the occasional night of “teenage delinquency,” but got that out of our systems in time for college, so we'd be prepared to focus on our futures. Granted the openness to speak with vulnerability to our parents, never hesitating to keep anything hidden because they are our most trusted allies, accepting us for exactly who we are.

My sister, the probable next Picasso, sat on the dining room table for days until her art was finished and is now mounted in the house for everyone to view her masterpiece. My brother, the prodigy, was never pushed to make the good grades, yet won a merit scholarship for his pure love of learning. My other brother, the athlete, and poet, was agile at any sport, natural to any musical instrument, and can put pen to paper words you or I could never imagine creating.

Our parents never forced us in any direction. They never pushed their dreams unto us. They simply provided us with an abundance of love, an education and the free will to seek out what talent God had instilled in us, what it was that made us happy and always encouraged us to pursue it.

The parents who the parent associations on school boards love to hate, the boring parents envy, the unorthodox parents are actually the ones doing the most parenting, creating the future leaders and artists.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for the never-ending support and love, for molding me into the person, I am today.