Ilove my mom. But it would hard to deny that I have been somewhat relieved to have 2,000 miles between us since she moved back to Mississippi. My mother is the bipolar product of an anxious Japanese woman and a stereotypical Southern man. Raised in the South, she was a teenage hippie, minus the politics and plus a country-club membership. She and my dad (the product of a talented salesman and an immaculate housewife) moved from …showed first 75 words of 1174 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1174 total…a nearly hopeless life. It's still a struggle to think of my mother and not cry for her, and want her to enjoy life. And because of these things it's tempting to think life is unkind, but stronger than that temptation is the knowledge that my parents have always, and will always, love, cherish, support, and, in two very different ways, teach their children what they can. Because of this, I know I'm tremendously fortunate