My mom was very strict when I was growing up. I could not talk to boys until I was 18. I had to study and work hard.

I was a big fan of 'The Smurfs' growing up even though by default - my mom used to force me to watch because she was a 'Smurfs' fan.

The military infrastructure grew me. My faith in God is important my belief in my country is important my relationship to my family is important the things that Mom and Dad tell you growing up are important.

So much of our lives are defined by habit or what the guy next to us is doing never wondering and knowing who and what we support with our actions from the detergent Mom always used to my favorite dish I make... A lot of my life is unexamined habit.

You know that I am living proof that the American Dream is real. Growing up our congressman cut through government bureaucratic red tape to help my mom buy our first house. That's the kind of congressman I'll be.

Growing up with three older brothers and being the youngest and the only girl my mom always made me tough. She's taught me over the years how to be a strong independent woman how to carry yourself in a positive way and anything that my brothers can do I can do.

Growing up my mom was very strict about how I dressed and how I behaved and I said to myself that I wasn't going to be like that. But now I know I'm going to be exactly like my mom. I'm going to be worse!

My mom calls me an older soul because growing up she taught me stuff real early. Now I spend most of my time chasing wisdom chasing understanding.

When I was growing up in New Jersey my mom would regularly take my sister and I into the city to see shows. I have many fond memories of standing in the half-price ticket line in Times Square and going to matinees.

My mom played the recorder. But not having electricity we had minimal exposure to music. As I got a little older we had Walkmans and things that were battery-powered but it would have been nice to be growing up in the iPod era. A tape only has six songs on a side.