I am going to brag about my adult daughter--a smart, pretty girl who didn't get good grades in high school, who got in trouble for talking too much and spending too much time socializing and not enough time doing homework. The combination of good social skills and intelligence allow her to be very successful in sales and marketing. I wish those teachers who called me regularly to complain about her could see her now.

My daughter, despite being raised by a mother with social anxiety issues, is not intimidated by anyone. When she perceives a problem with the way someone is treating her she does not worry about it, she takes action. She somehow always knows what to say so that she resolves the conflict and everyone is happy.

Now she is advocating for her 13-year-old brother who is being homeschooled by me and trying to help find solutions to problems that we are having. She calls her little brother daily to provide moral support. She knows that he is going through a difficult time living in a small town with a lot of sanctimonious Bible thumpers, living in pain from a brace 14 hours a day, a brace that makes it difficult for him to do anything with other kids except for the 2 hours he is allowed to take it off for musical theater rehearsals, and homeschooling in chaos.