When seeing this image, I immediately thought of my parents
and how our relationship has evolved throughout my life.
Mom and dad are two of my closest friends.
I feel that we share a unique relationship unlike that of the typical parent(s)-child.
Their decision to raise Gabe and me in Maine
has gone "hand in hand" with their parenting philospohy.
They wanted to raise us in an area
unlike that where either of them had grown-up
(the Bronx for my dad and Maryland suburbs of D.C. for my mom).
When I was a kid, I always resented their decision
to raise me in
such a rural, removed area. My upbringing, however,was far
from isolated as we traveled extensively throughout my childhood.
Mom and dad surrounded me with books and music;
in my home, seeking knowledge was always supported.
I never realized it at the time,
but my upbringing was far more intellectual than any of my childhood friends.
High school was the first time that I began to acknowledge this
as the reason I felt so disconnected from my peers.
I spent much of high school feeling torn and confused with my true personality.
My attributes did not seem to be the ones gaining recognition by my peers.
Although extrememly athletic and able to mix with the mainstream population,
I never felt satisfied nor whole during this period.
My parents enabled me to endure this period.
Looking back, I do not regret having struggled
during these difficult fromative years;
this experience grants me my personal identity.
I feel stronger about who I am and what I represent.
Mom and dad were always supportive and practical
about me, my struggles, and my aspirations.
I cannot begin to describe the important role
that my parents have and continue to play throughout my life.
This page will never be able to properly portray the love and admiration that I have for both of them........