The love of parents.

The Apple Does Fall Far From the Tree.

I never knew what it was like to have parents cheer me on at my games, or applaud me at my award ceremonies or graduations. 

After a while I just stopped expecting them to come.

In fact I would rather they had never come at all. 

For when they did, there was sure to be a scene. 

Dad being a little too loud, heckling the other children and their parents. 

Mom screaming at the top of her lungs unintelligent words every time she would catch a glimpse of my sister and I. 

I grew up being told that I would never succeed. 

I strove to prove my parents wrong. 

And I saw only one way to do that. 

Achieve something neither of them ever did. 

Graduate high school. 

But, it seemed like my parents knew my plan

And strove to make sure I turned out just like them. 

Every time I succeeded at something, they would do something that would knock me back three steps. 

But I wouldn't let them keep me down. 

In order for me to graduate I had to have a 2.0 GPA and 24 credits. 

The beginning of my second semester of my last year of high school I had a 1.0 and only 14 credits. 

I worked for months against everything my family told me. 

And I graduated. 

I was even given a special mention because it seemed implausible for me to graduate, even the administration didn't believe it. 

My mother couldn't even be bothered to attend the ceremony

My father sat there stoically.

His only response was,

Well, you're not pregnant. 

Daddy was mad I did something he never could.