My parents announced at their wedding anniversary dinner: “We are going to Bahamas next week with the entire family for another party.” Everybody was happy. Then I asked them, what time is the departure? Dad replied, “You don’t know because you are not part of us. You can stay behind and take care of all the kids.” What I said next… nobody could believe.

I smiled brightly while looking out at the endless blue ocean water.

“I will happily drink to the kind of family we actually get to choose for ourselves.”