Parents

My father's favorite quotes are "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer," and "Time is the great equalizer." The former is from The Godfather (my dad is Italian-American.). The latter means that no one should be too self-congratulatory when comparing oneself to others, especially in youth. We all grow up, we all grow old, we all die.  I always wondered if I was disappointing to my father, b/c even with time, my life has gone nowhere. However, there is always still time.....and anyway, Rick tends to think I'm a saint b/c of all the suffering my illnesses have imposed upon me. It's interesting, but my parents really see saintly qualities in me. Of course, they are still critical of, say, my manner of dress. I feel often like I am in a weird sort of hiding with them......but for the most part, they are wonderful.