One of the biggest surprises of adulthood has been how much I need my parents. Subconsciously, I must have thought I'd grow up and outgrow being a daughter. But it's the opposite: now, as a 35-year old woman, I'm more conscious than ever of my immense need for my parents. 

Something tender and humbling took place as I became a parent myself and experienced the grind of life firsthand: the unfathomable amount of work it takes to cultivate a marriage, run a home, build a career, raise children, all the while seeking to be a healthy, whole human being. My eyes were opened to the fact that they did this too, they felt this too.

I've grown up, but I remain a daughter. Actually, I've become more fully a daughter. This has been a powerful lesson for me and my prideful, false self-sufficiency. I'm so grateful that my parents are alive and part of my life—all five of them! (I have my father and mother, my step-dad and step-mom who have been in my life since I was a toddler, and recently a new step-father.) This is a gift that I refuse to take for granted.

Don't believe the lie that you're meant to do life on your own, that's a dangerous mentality. Be a daughter, be a son. It's good and right to fall back into the arms of people who love you—even if they aren't your parents. Various people can play this role in our lives, and we all need it, at all ages.