Child Support

I feel really blessed to have such a supportive family. In everything I've wanted to do with my life they have cheered me on. When I was young, and wanted to be a singer, my parents always said, "You have a beautiful voice. I will always love to hear you sing." As I wrote poems for school, for pleasure, for whatever season and time they let me read them aloud, over and over if I wished. They swore the poems were so original and so special. They told me to keep going, to follow my love. When I said I wanted to be an artist, or a painter, they bought me paints and pencils and canvases. They praised my smallest works and tried to connect to what I had made. With each piece of paper covered in colors, there was a small feeling that I had done something worth something. When I wrote chapters upon chapters of novels still unfinished, they listened as I read the early works, the edits, and the complete segments, marveling at what I had written. (Even when I was unsure of what I'd created.) They have all read blogs I've written and commented on what they liked, or insights they were glad I have. When I started in theatre, my family said, "You're dramatic alright. I can see you on the stage." They come to every performance they can, and don't mind my many questions like,"What was your favorite part? Did you see what we did here? Was that funny?" When I picked up the ukulele, then the guitar, they suffered through my learning. They listened to every false chord and every song that took 10 times longer than it should, as I struggled to place my fingers where they ought to fall. They smiled once I finally understood one thing or another. They cheered me on when one or two songs were easy, finally. My mom helped me to pick out an electric guitar, and convinced my dad to let me buy it with my own money. Afterwords, he searched high and low to find an amp for me. Now I feel like I know what I really want for my life, to be a psychologist, and to let people talk to me all day. Ha. And my family is still behind me, cheering me on. My mom buys me pyschology books, and my sister endures my philosophical musings and attempts to make her tell me 'how that makes you feel'. My dad says what smart children he has, and he has faith we will both do great things. I don't know where I would be without all the guidance, love, and support I've been given. I know that I wouldn't be the same though, and I would never have made it to where I am.

(And in all those examples I didn't mention: wanting to become president, crocheting, dental hygienist..I'll think of more later.)