But I’ve also worked so damn hard to not become my parents and I’m proud of that. My mother had no friends because she had very little empathy for other people, and she was terrified of being vulnerable. I’ve cobbled together a pretty damn good life for myself by being vulnerable to community, being with people through conflict, and working on my own patterns as soon as I had the resources available to me. I may never catch up to someone who had loving parents but I’m proud of my life.