“I grew up believing that I could do it all by myself. I had to stand up for myself to the school bullies, unlike some of my friends, whose older siblings stood up for them. There was no ‘co’ anyone in my life in regard to my relationship with my parents. If I got into trouble for getting home late from a party, I bore the brunt of the situation all by myself. When it was my parents’ anniversary, it was just me in the kitchen, making them a special breakfast. The independence that I experienced as a single child taught me a lot things; it taught me to be responsible and to rely on my own prowess.”