Which parent do you, or did you, feel closest to -- and why?

My mom, although I recognize the sacrifices my dad made for me, too. In the end, my mom is the one who was right there with me while all the shit that happened, happened.

My dad stayed at a job he hated in order to maintain my health insurance, which is a sacrifice I feel I can never really repay. I hope to take care of him when he’s elderly in return.

My mom didn’t work, but she was the one who spent time with me, who listened to me complain about everything that was terrible during those times. I got closer to her because of that.

They both supported me in incredible ways.

My dad because we had similar interests and he was easy to talk to. Plus, Mom was bananas.

My mother. My father was a severe alcoholic. They divorced when I was six. It was pretty much just me and mom from there on out. I have siblings but they are all a lot older than me. My mother and I spent tons of quality time together and shared interests. She is very affectionate and loving. (and it’s her 92nd Bday today btw)

I think none.
I love my parents, but I can survive without them just fine (knowing they are well, of course).
I used to care as a kid. My dad has always been away at his job, and my mother has always been very stern to us. There aren’t many emitional moments in our family.
I wanted their attention a lot as a child, but now I don’t care anymore.

emotional

I have mixed feeling about my parents. On one hand I know they do care and they try their best, but on the other hand I think they are just too stuck up in their mindset to handle me. Dad can’t control his emotion and is prone to mood swing, and mom is a bit too sensitive and critical. They are both unable to see me as an adult and treat me as such. In their mind I’m always a child, unable to do anything without messing up and only coming up with crazy unrealistic ideas.

I love them both, but I wish they could for once admit that they aren’t always right and listen to me. I know admitting that age doesn’t equal wisdom isn’t something an Asian can easily do, but they are taking things a bit too far.

But I will give credit where credit is due. They try hard to secure a good life for me, a life without troubles for the rest of my life. They don’t want me to take risk because they themselves aren’t used to risks. They just want me to lead a life that in their opinion is safe and sound.

Neither. After my parents divorced my father was basically absent, married to his career and then a new wife. My mother, who was very bright and talented but emotionally fragile fell into the bottle. They have both been dead now for years.

Being an only child and very independent minded I did quite well inspite of the lack of solid parenting. I was close to my maternal grandmother and she was a loving presence in my life. In many ways I raised myself and when I became a parent was very invested in doing things differently with my daughter. I was very involved with her and we enjoy a great adult relationship now. She is the chip off of my block and while we are different in many ways we share a lot of common ground, interests, humor and it is a true delight to be in her company.

Both. I was close to both of my parents, they had a great relationship and it showed. Dad passed away in 2013, mom is 89 and still around, And now I’m on a guilt trip because I don’t get by to visit as often as I should.

Well, I guess my Mom. Dad was just distant, emotionally and physically. Mom was physically distant (2000 miles away) for most of my adult life, but we talked on the phone almost daily. I always wished she was a different kind of mom. She used to just fly off the handle over virtually nothing. After she retired from Boeing Seattle she moved back here. One time the kids and I went to visit. After we arrived she suddenly jumped up and said “Is anyone hungry?”
We said, “No, we just ate, but thanks.”
However, she didn’t seem to hear us and proceeded to start rummaging through her freezer. We kept saying, “We just ate!”
Then she pulled a frozen party pizza out of the fridge and said, “How about this.”
“We aren’t hungry. We just ate.”
She slammed the pizza back in the freezer, slammed the freezer door then yelled, “When you DO get hungry don’t come to me!!”
WTF? But…that’s the story of my life.