Michaela Lumpert, Campus Carrier News Editor

I grew up with a strong, independent, northern mom and a dad who came from Switzerland and struggles with the English language to this day. I have a twin who was an exact replica of me, but as we split and went to college, we became two separate individuals with very different dreams and hopes. I guess what I am trying to say is that we are very different from your typical American family. I was taught what I consider northern values in a southern living environment. I was taught to be respectful, to always use my manners, to be professional, and to never talk back. I’m sure what you are thinking now is, ok but Michaela, how are you different and where is this going?

Well, my relationships with my parents aren’t like your typical relationship. Not only did my mom teach me how to drive, she taught me my first curse words. She taught me that retail therapy is the best cure for any bad mood, and chocolate is the only health care we need. I had my first cup of coffee way too young, and now the only thing to get me to sleep is an espresso. I am essentially a carbon copy of my mother. But more importantly, as I was growing up, she was also starting her own business. So, from a young age, I was taught to be independent, to always speak my mind, and to never let anyone or anything hold me back.

With my dad, on the other hand, I learned the ever-challenging German language, to never be afraid to ask questions (because he asks more questions in one day than I can in a lifetime) and to have an open mind because the world is filled with millions of different cultures that all vary from my own.

My relationship with my parents is formal, but it’s also casual. They both have always taught me to be open not only with them, but with my personality and my life. Because I was always so open with my parents, they trust me with everything. I am able to fly to Boston to visit a boy, go off to college, and not have my parents track my every movement on their phones. It also brought my family closer, to where we can have fun and still be respectful to each other.

Now after reading this, you’ve probably realized that our relationships between our parents are very different. But, I think we need to have more casual relationships with our parents, or else we can feel closed off from not only them but even others around us.

Our parents have raised us all in different ways, but having an open relationship with them makes them more likely to trust us and let us try new things. It also allows us to keep our relationships strong and meaningful even after college when we are all moved out with families of our own.

So sure, call me biased, I have the best parents in the world, but because of how they raised me and how they were open with me as well, I feel as if our relationship can withstand anything.

They still get mad at me when I tell them I skip class, but then they reason with me and understand when I sometimes have a good reason for it. They still reprimand me and explain to me when I have done something wrong, but they also trust me and they don’t hide anything that happens in our family from me or my twin. Our relationships have never been stronger.

Because of this, my mom is my best friend, and for many of my friends, the highlight of my Snapchat story, and soon to be Twitter famous.