I've been told I should have left home, left the nest, and adventured somewhere else for school. That's fine. Maybe I should have.

Most people who've told me that believe they know me best. But they're not my mom, and she knows best. Maybe not all the time, but she definitely knows better than them. Dad too, but he says to ask mom first just in case.

I didn't know it when I was younger, since my mind was distracted by messy men. As I've aged, and compared my grays to their grayer grays, I'm happy at home here with them.

Despite what everyone says about needing to move away to grow up, I've never felt that was necessary for me. I'm going to grow anyway, it's not a matter of if but when... Though I'm told I should grow up away from them.

And maybe I should have, but that's not for anyone else to say. I know it's to encourage me to leave and grow up, I guess. But I'm not sold that it's the only way.

I find it sad that we forget our elders long before they've forgotten us. The value of time appreciates with age, and exponentially increases even as markets crash. We invest time with uncertain returns. There are no certain returns, only the certainty of death at the end.

My family is important. That's it. There's nothing better than a happy home, full of love and life, no matter who it is.