I live in Washington DC. My parents live in Florida. My relationship has been, for most of my life, centered around my mother.

My father and I see each other almost daily when I’m home. We talk, but it’s strained most of the time and almost always centered around school. I love my father, but his relationship with his own mother, and women in general is strained at best, so he has trouble connecting with the things I’m interested in.

I call my mother ever Sunday, just to talk. She’s more of the emotional rock in my family relationship. In high school, I hated my mom. She was the lady that wanted me to put on makeup, dress myself up, go be social with people around me. At the time, I thought she was absolutely nuts, but as I got older and moved into my 20’s, I realized the values that she was trying to instill in me. It wasn’t about looking good or being popular. It was the motions of self-respect, self-confidence and self-knowledge. She’s a smart lady. Most of the time.

I hope that the older I get, the more my dad will see the point in my accomplishments. At my age, he still hopes that I’ll wake up one day and want to go to law school. It’s hard to want to pick up the phone and call him. But I know I gotta.

But today is Mom Sunday.