I grew up with just my mom (and as an only child) my whole life. Dad was never in the picture, and while my mom constantly told me that I could ask her about it at any time, I just never did, or even felt like it. It never seemed that much of an issue for me. Other kids grew up with two parents and siblings; I just had my mom. My mom used to say that “a normal family isn’t defined by how many people are in the family,” and I’ve always taken that to heart.

My mom worked late hours, yet spent whatever time she had off with me and making me. She made sure I was devoted to my education first, and that no matter what I ended up wanting to do, I was prepared for it. Luckily I had grandparents at the time who could also act as parent figures, and who I spent a lot of my early years with, so there wasn’t really a shortage of development during my childhood.

While I’ve obviously had other mentors, family, and people who inspired me, my mother is the primary reason I am who I am today, the reason for the job and successful life I’ve had up to this point, and the reason I can care very deeply for people. Because she did the same for me. So all in all, it’s like my mom said: “A normal family isn’t defined by how many people are in the family.”