I always perceived my childhood as pretty idyllic, stay at home mother, homeschooled, suburban neighborhood with a big yard to play in, father I respected, friends I loved like family.
I always, and still do, had a deep admiration for my mother. She was creative, compassionate, loyal, and fun. Growing up she had her own circle of close friends, some were my friends mothers but many were others she met through her own interests. She was in the area sewing guild, she painted, she took classes in subjects she was interested in. Looking back I respected how she kept her own life and had a healthy support network despite homeschooling me. She was in therapy working out issues from her past, I never knew too much about it but seeing her in therapy helped my outlook on getting help. I would spend hours playing in our yard, or down at the creek behind our street. I helped in our vegetable garden and picked berries from our bushes, and my mother would use life situations to teach me as well as textbooks for my homeschooling.
My father worked an IT job, and I learned a lot about computers from him. I never remember him having his own time with his friends, or really having friendships that existed outside his work. When he moved workplaces his friendships didn't seem to continue after. He was interested in plants, computer games, and science fiction. We would watch Star Wars and Star Trek together, and he taught me edible plants.
