They Gave me the Freedom to Live

They didn't give me freedom.

They gave me freedom to live.

But they didn't give me freedom to fail.

Freedom to make mistakes.

Freedom to learn.

Freedom to explore.

Freedom to ask questions.

But they gave me a long leash in personal freedom. In independence and in respect. Most of all they went out of their way to provide for my financial freedom. But I'm sort of a greedy person, so I tend to always want more than I have.

Being an artist doesn't make you less ambitious, it makes you more. I don't know if it's because my parents don't know that, or are unwilling to recognize it in front of me, but I always see some judgment in their eyes, a discomfort with "what I've become." They know me, but they can't be so sure they do at this point. But they are so wrapped in the warmth of love that they always forgive me, they always trust me and they always support me when I need it. Those things are a staple. A constant. The rest, that's in my control now.