When we're young we think of our parents as one-dimensional beings that take care of us. As we grow older we learn that they are actually individuals, complicated people just like us that have feelings; dreams, hopes, fears, and pasts all their own before we ever existed. We struggle to figure out how and where we fit in to their complicated lives.

I learned bits and pieces about my mom's autonomy as the years went on, but my dad – he was always just my dad. He was quiet, strong, and thoughtful. He was my mom's rock and my protector. When I was a little girl he would get down on the ground and pretend to be a horse, a huge animal that used to exist on the surfac...

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