Daniel_, I didn't read a bit of criticism in it.
That was actually a fun exercise. And I really do hope my living situation has helped my parents start thinking, like your family did. Mom got incredibly pissed when I told her I was getting a divorce, and I've always wondered if it's because I did something that she's unable or unwilling to do in order to be happy. As it is now, she's much more accepting of my life than my father is... so maybe those mental wheels are turning!