I have to say, my life experience has been very different — my folks always said I could do whatever I set my mind to, always. Years back I decided I wanted to make my living in clay, polymer clay. What’s that, you say? Well, it just wasn’t an obvious choice to make. I told my husband, I told my parents. The three of them discussed it something like this:

Mom: “I’m so worried, how can you make a living in clay…”

Husband: “I know, I’m worried, too.”

Thing is, I never knew they even had this discussion until 10 years had passed and I was firmly planted in my career in, yes, polymer clay. They never shared their worry with me, they let me go and try. You know, I respected and loved them so much, if they had thrown in the monkey wrench, I might have abandoned my dream for something more “sensible”.

Ultimately, they held fast to those words they had spoken to me all my life — you can do whatever you set your mind to. So, with their love and support, I did.