標題：想對父母說的心里話（英文）
Q: What’s the one thing you’ve always wanted to say to your parents but never did?
For years, I kept it bottled up—like a secret diary no one would read. But now, as a grown woman with my own life, I finally whisper it in English, because sometimes words feel more honest when they’re not in our native tongue.
I want to tell them: “Thank you for loving me even when I didn’t deserve it.”
Remember that winter I was 16? I snapped at Mom for making me clean my room. She didn’t yell back—just quietly folded laundry while I stormed off. Later, I found a note on my pillow: “I know you’re angry. I’m still proud of you.” That note changed everything. It wasn’t grand or dramatic—it was real. And that’s what made it powerful.
Q: Why do we wait so long to say these things?
Maybe because we think they already know. Or maybe because we’re afraid of sounding vulnerable. But here’s the truth: they don’t know how much their silence hurt, or how much their small kindnesses saved us.
I once saw Dad cry after my first breakup—he never told me he saw me cry too, just sat silently beside me on the couch. Years later, I asked him why he stayed quiet. He said, “I didn’t want to make it worse.” I cried then—not from sadness, but from gratitude. He protected me in ways I never noticed until now.
Q: How can we start saying these things now?
Not with big speeches. Just with moments. A text: “Mom, I remember how you stayed up with me when I had fever. I’m so glad you were there.” Or a voice note: “Dad, I see how hard you work. I’m learning to be strong like you.”
One day last month, I recorded a short video for my mom in English—not perfect, but full of heart. I said: “You taught me that love isn’t loud—it’s in the way you show up.” She watched it three times. Then she called me and said, “Now I understand why you write so well—you listen to people.”
That’s the magic of speaking your truth—even in another language. It strips away the noise. It makes the emotion clearer. And sometimes, it helps your parents hear you better than ever before.
If you’re reading this and your parents are still around—please, tell them. Not tomorrow. Today. In English, in Chinese, in your own voice. They’ll thank you later—for being brave enough to care.
Because love doesn’t need perfection. It just needs honesty.
