My Life as a Teenager

My teenage years were very sheltered even though I was a very spoiled child. My oldest sister who was 24 passed away with lupus at the beginning of my 10th grade year. My parents were devastated so I did my best to be the perfect child. Open rebellion was never an option because I wanted to make it up to them for having to bury a child. I think at the time, it was so traumatic for me that a lot of those years are very hard to remember. My mother did not drive and my father worked nights so I remember that when I got my license I drove my mother to her friend's house and picked her up a lot. I was always expected to be at home before dark if I was out with my friends. My first date was my senior prom which turned out to be a real dud. I had a middle sister who was married with 2 small children and she did her best to run interference for me and help make my life as normal as possible. I studied a lot in order to earn scholarships to go away to college. I felt that was my only way of escaping because I felt so smothered by my parents. I always knew they loved me but as a teenager, I felt they loved me too much. Now that my mother has passed away, I really regret how much I resented that love during those times. If we only knew then what we know now...