I am fiercely independent. It may be one of my strongest attributes and it happens to drive those who love me crazy but it isn’t something I can change even if I wanted to. I came into this world independent, without any parents until I was six weeks old, I’ve lived my life independent, and I’ll likely go out that way. I remember my mom always telling people that I was determined to everything myself. My independence has driven my stubbornness and my ambition. Where does it come from? A friend of mine would say it comes from my birth story. I was born and instead of going straight to my mother’s arms, I went to strangers, doctors and nurses, who likely were poking and prodding me with scientific instruments instead of cuddling and cooing with love in their eyes. I have no idea what the actual birth was like, if my mother was on pain killing drugs or not, or if it was an easy natural birth. I just know that I stayed in the hospital until my parents came to pick me up six weeks later. How cognizant are we at that age? How primal are our instincts? Isn’t it possible that I felt the cold nursery and steel or plastic crib, competing with all the other babies for food and attention? If that’s the case, isn’t it possible that I developed an instinct to fend for myself, even if I obviously couldn’t feed myself or change my own diaper, I think it’s possible my primal independence started then. I think it is possible that experience shaped my instinct to depend only on myself. Some traits are inherited and some are learned, is independence one that is learned? I think it’s possible. Why is it that I literally can’t force myself to want to depend on others for my happiness and livelihood? Even if my husband made millions of dollars, I don’t think that I could just not contribute to the finances. I have to stop myself when he tries to open my door for me and make myself wait so that he can do that. When I come home with groceries, I cannot force myself to let him take them in for me. It has almost become something I’m proud of, like – look, I can carry all these groceries on my own two arms all by myself without any help! How ridiculous is that? It’s something I am trying hard to break because I think it’s important to let people help me, especially my husband. It’s great that I am able to do everything for myself and I don’t need any help but if I don’t even allow people who want to help do that for me, then it pushes them away. It’s ok to accept help every now and then. It’s something I’m working on but it isn’t easy breaking a habit that was learned at birth. What does your birth story tell you about yourself?