Family Interview

My parents expected that I would be tall like my mom. That didn't end up happening, but they also expected me to go to college. They expected me to be independent and raised me in a way that I wouldn't be dependent on those around me. They expected me to love everyone I meet and be a very confident person. They also expected me to not be a pushover because according to my mom, I was a very difficult pregnancy.

My parents tried to impart Judaism on me, my dad a lot more than my mom. My dad grew up pretty Jewish. My mom grew up Jewish, but wasn't allowed to have a bat mitzvah because she was a girl, and she was actually punished my her parents when she wanted to study Judaism. So, it's especially important to my dad that I was taught about Judaism, but they've also been open to me learning about other religions. Ever since I was little, I've had a lot of animals. My parents actually bred labrador retrievers for a while, so at times I had a dozen puppies in my house. I've always thought having animals was important. My parents imparted the lesson of inclusions on me. They taught me from a very young age that it's important to include everyone and accept people for who they are.

My parents taught me about the importance of family from an early age. My uncle, my mom's brother, was studying at Northwestern when I was little, so he would come over and play video games without us. I got to watch him grow up as he got to watch me grow up. Now I'm that same figure he was to me for his two twin boys. My parents have also imparted the importance of independence on me. They allow me to make a lot of my own choices, especially in the college process of where I want to go and what I want to study. They've taught me how important trust is and how important it is to have trust and give it to others.

My parents said that they sometimes disagreed on how to discipline me. I've never been hit or spanked or anything like that, but they had a hard time punishing me by making threats that they couldn't keep and follow through with. My mom said my dad would often say things like, "Well, if you keep acting like this, you're not going to go to Mexico and you'll be miserable for winter break". But in reality, what was going to happen? A thirteen year old was going to stay at home by herself while her parents were on vacation. It just wasn't likely. My parents told me that I was a pretty easy child, and that I rarely needed to be punished.

My mom said that as a child, I was like my mom as an adult, meaning that it took her a long time to become outgoing and bold whereas I came out of the womb pretty outgoing. Like my mom, I am outspoken, sarcastic, messy, and I get my musical abilities from her. From my dad I get my insight, my height (short), and my nurturing qualities. When I asked my parents where I get my stubbornness from, they pointed at each other, so I guess I get it from both of them.

I'm not really surprised by what my parents wanted for me and how they expected me to be. My family and I have talked about our values and expectations and traditions since I was little, so I pretty much knew all of them. I did learn that my mom didn't care much about Judaism, which I never really knew. I thought it would be even more important to her because she never got to have a Jewish education, but I guess she never stressed a Jewish education because she wanted me to realize there were other religions than that and that religion shouldn't be the most important aspect of my life.