They tolerate my music. They tell me I can't do things I want to do. They listen when I need them to. Above all, they let me know they are there for me no matter what. Who are they? The people who birthed me, of course: my parents.

Maurice and Loucilla, my parents, are indescribable. I know that I have very rare parents. They are accepting and open-minded, which allows me to lead my life the way I choose. The main reason our relationship has been maintained through grade school, teen angst and college is communication.

When I say communication, I don't mean just giving the courtesy call once a week or letting them know when I arrive somewhere, which I constantly forget to do. I mean discussing the good, the bad and the ugly. There are very few things  I feel I can't share with my parents. Because I share so much with them, it allows them to trust me to make the right decisions.

The main reason our relationship has been maintained through grade school, teen angst and college is communication.

For instance, when I was in high school, I didn't have a curfew. I heavily attribute this to always telling my parents about my life. I always told them who my friends were and all the gossip about them. Besides knowing who was dating whom and whom I was angry with that week, they encouraged me to live my life happily. I always knew if anything was bothering me, I would tell them truthfully and together we would solve the problem. Somehow I began treating my parents like my friends and I'm so happy the habit stuck.

I understand that my relationship with my parents is a little unusual for this day and age. Kudos if you are lucky enough to share the same type of relationship with your parents. I know that a lot of families are not the typical nuclear family and that parent-child relationships can be quite different as a result.

For example, my best friend, Emma Moscatello, was raised by her dad, Bob. They butt heads from time to time, but when you see them together, you know they have a fabulous relationship. When I was younger I spent so much time with the two of them: going to Galveston beach, concerts at the Engine Room in Houston, and eating homemade spaghetti and salad with Italian dressing.

When Emma and I graduated from high school our parents were beaming with pride. Seeing the looks on their faces made us unbelievably happy and glad that we could make them feel that way. Our parents worked very hard to make sure that we were safe, healthy and above all, happy. High school graduation was the culmination of not only our hard work, but also our parents'.

If Emma and I had not developed such a strong bond with our parents we wouldn't be the women we are today. My relationship with my parents has shaped my life in more ways than I'll ever know. One thing is for sure, though. I wouldn't take back one talk, argument or gossip session for the world because I know that all those things not only made us closer as a family, but also closer as friends.