nook.

Remember in middle school when your parents weren't cool enough to be seen with you?

I hate to admit it, but I was the kid that used to run away from my mother in the mall when I recognized someone from school.

Almost ten years later (holy smokes) I kick myself for acting like that. Since moving out, the relationship I have with my parents has a completely different dynamic. Their opinion, support, criticism and confidence in my choices is the most important reaction I listen for.

It's interesting now to see that within our friend group, we all are interested in meeting each other's mothers and fathers. Maybe it's to see what genes got mixed from each to create this person in our life. Maybe it's to hear those stories from a different view. Maybe it's to find out where on Earth those personality quirks came from.

My parents met my friends in Toronto this weekend and it was pretty cool. They put their arms around these girls that they had only heard of through me, but were able to characterize and remember who each was perfectly after the fact.

Walking around the city the next day, where I'm bound to run into many people I know from school, work or a band I have reviewed, it didn't even cross my mind once to move away from my parents. Instead, I tucked inside the nook of my father's arm as we sauntered down trendy Queen West, admiring restaurants and music stores.

We change, we mature, we grow up. The Señor and Jan are my heroes.

It's a week early, but this was my Thanksgiving.

I'm eternally blessed with so many great people in my life - friends who have turned into family, and family members that I'm starting to admire as friends.