I Wrote a Letter

Do you remember the story you told me?

The mother tiger bites her children to force them to leave home. I escaped! Please be the tiger!

Did you notice how many times you wrote exclamation points and red marks? It was so stressful for me. I'm sorry I can't be your ideal daughter. I still think about what you'd tell me. No good, bitchy, unfilial. "Why do you always ruin the things I love?"

Your words affect me.

I'm proud of my heritage, and I know you've done so much for me. When we didn't even have milk to drink, you took care of me.

I was embarassed of you as a child, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wished you were a doctor. I'm sorry I wished you were a lawyer, or a scientist, or an engineer.

I'm sorry that I lied to my friends and told them you were someone else because I thought it would make me cooler. I'm sorry I used to tell people you were my nanny or my aunt because I didn't think you were pretty enough.


I'm sorry I didn't appreciate you for who you were. I hope you see my effort, my sweat, and my tears. I want to make you proud of me, I want to honour your sacrifices.

Thank you for raising me well, thank you for making me take violin lessons to get those unclaimed scholarships, thank you for making me go to chinese school on the weekends, thank you for pushing me to always be the best, thank you for bringing me good food during long study sessions and for bringing me cold drinks on hot days.

Thank you for telling me "Next time, be perfect.", and "Learning means to know one's ignorance."

Thank you for being my 老虎妈妈.