Dear Mom and Dad,
It’s been a rough month. Because the counter assistant left, Mom has to be at the store all day for six days a week while Dad wakes up at 5:30 in the morning to keep up with the workload. Constantly being on your feet all day made you guys irritated and on the edge, which in turn is giving me relentless stress. Before this month, my relationship with you was unstable, strained even; however, the beginning of this month made me want to avoid you guys as much as I could. Last week, though, I realized that I needed to stop feeling confused with how I felt about you and actually fix what was our problem. There’s a lot between us that I have to sort out, but for my sake, I need closure.
To begin, I want to say that I’m sorry. I know I hurt you many times and have betrayed you. We have radically different beliefs and views on everything. Because you and I are so stubborn and believe we are right, we never understand each other. I blatantly disregard your begs and pleads while you dismiss how I feel. Although it’s easiest to just blindly follow your orders, I simply can’t. What I will do, though, is explain thoroughly and clearly how I really feel. I won’t nod yes and then disobey you. I will be respectful and honest. I know that my different beliefs will cause you a lot of heartaches, but I want to be honest and clear with you from now on. Our communication is strained, but I want to work towards being able to speak on equal terms. I know that if we give it our best shots, we can do this.
Finally, I want to say that I love you both. True, there are times when you hurt me such that I can’t bring myself to forgive you. I push you off and sometimes cry to myself, “I can’t love them,” because I couldn’t think of any other way to get over it. But when the stinging goes away, I think about what you do for me and my brother. I remember how you started a local business from scratch and slaved away for the income. I remember how you would say how proud of me you are and thank me for being alive when my cousin died in a miscarriage. So yes, it’s true that I get angry at you at times, but it’s unfair to let that be the only thing I feel about you. You made mistakes and said spiteful things, but you have given so much for me.
It’s been a whole mess, sorting out my emotions about you both. But I think that it’s worth it. I’m no longer confused how I should feel about you, just resolved. I know that in the future, our relationship is uncertain, but I want to work on fixing it at least for the time being. After all, you’re my parents. you deserve at least that.
With love,
Your Daughter
