My Declaration of Independence

When people want independence they want it immediately, but it is not that easy. Independence requires many steps. The path of life has many milestones to independence. Although I faced a lot of turmoil through my teenage years, my family guided me and molded my inner strength to lead me through my mishaps.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I did not have to ask permission from my parents to leave the house, but I still told them when I was leaving, where I was going, who I was going with, and what time I would be coming home. Although at times my parents would not approve of the terms of which I was going out, they still let me go. If something went wrong through an act that was preventable, my parents wanted me to learn from that situation and accept responsibility for my actions. I knew, then, that my parents were preparing me for adulthood; they were teaching me to be independent.
Not only were my parents trying to get me to be responsible, but they also encouraged me...