(Saw this challenge on someone's blog and thought it looked interesting.. haven't written in a long time so I'll do it. Total honesty.)

dear parents,

let me start by saying, it isn't easy being your child. Growing up, I think I achieved too much too soon and you took it as a sign that i can achieve a lot if I set my mind to it. And that made you hard on me. You were strict and didn't expect me to be any less than perfect. I worked so hard because I was trained that that was the only acceptable thing for me to do.

despite all that i want to thank you. For pushing me and not allowing me to be lazy (oh yes, I can be if i want to) thank you for accepting my decision on what I want to be when i grow up. Thank you for the many many piano lessons and swimming lessons and all the priveleges I had growing up. You taught me to be confident and to stand up for myself. And I really appreciate that.

sometimes I felt like you could have been kinder to me, you could have tried at least to see my point of view before saying no or deciding that i was wrong. Sometimes i wish you'd put yourself in my shoes and try to understand how I feel. But then again, we're flawed humans and i accept you despite all that.

mum and dad, you've been wonderful amazing parents and i am not the perfect child. I've been a monster, I've been rebellious and inconsiderate (remember my phases of rebellion? Lol) and still you both love me and have given me everything I could ever want.

Our relationship is maybe a complicated one because you know I'm stubborn and tend to disobey, but still I want to thank you for everything. Dad, thanks for being the first man ever to call me beautiful. And mum, thanks for inspiring me to want to be a doctor. Love you both.

Sincerely, your daughter.