Before We met, I was never really the kind of person who thought much. Maybe commitment was my stronger quality. I made it through school and graduated with a degree, but only after following through with a 20 year-old decision. Depending on how you look at it, Our relationship was either a catalyst or permission leading to my second adulthood.

He was the bigger factor in my self-awareness. Before, I encountered stresses that my personality flowed around and periodically only wished I could change. I rarely did anything intentional. Yet, perhaps like any parent, when he came into my life I immediately realized one can only hope randomness builds good character and that wasn’t good enough.

While she and I grew to know one another I thought her great parenting came from a much better example than I was given, but I was wrong in several respects. When they raise kids no parents really know what they are doing. I was thinking about it all wrong. Not only is magic not involved, but I missed nothing in my own childhood. Good people make good parents for a reason: to make other good parents.