My Relationship with my Parents

Based off this list.  I have been avoiding this topic because it's a downer since I don't have a close relationship with my parents and never really have. My mother has struggled with substance addiction for about as long as I can remember and I only saw my dad every other weekend growing up.  Being a bit reclusive, it's like my mom depends on me and my sister (my eldest sister has cut her off) for social interaction, so she will call excessively.  My dad calls so rarely that when he randomly called me this week, I thought something was terribly wrong.  Suffice it to say, I don't have a close relationship with either parent, I don't go to them with my problems, I don't update them too much on my life.  I know they love me.  I know they are proud of some of my talents and accomplishments.  I know that they will try to the best of their ability to help me through a trial if I let them in on it; even if it's not what I need, the intent is there.  Since I don't have a close relationship with my parents, it's hard for me to open up to others.  I guess I have just learned to be independent in a lot of ways, which is probably not entirely good and I'm sure factors into my singleness.  But, here I am being so negative.  I will share a good memory with each of my parents:

My mom, sister Lisa, and I would play pretend.  I would be Holly Gavore, my mom was Madame Potage.  (I don't remember Lisa's pseudonym).  Basically, it was dress-up and putting on mom's makeup.  But when you're 4, that's pretty awesome.  My dad was always great about including us on cultural experience: museums (I LOVED dinosaurs as a child), musicals, the symphony, the Renaissance Faire.  I do hope I can replicate both of these things in my future family.

Holly Gavore

I went to the Comic Con before it was cool (perhaps I shouldn't admit that?  But it's fun to pretend to be a hipster)