A Letter to my Hard Working Parents

Dear Mom and Dad, 

Your mornings start early and most of your days run late into the night. You both work continuously for up to 10 hours a day for seven days a week. I know that the long days of the same old thing can be extremely frustrating and tiring. There is not a day that goes by where I don’t think of what I could be doing to make you guys proud. I cannot take advantage of being able to learn and be enrolled at a four-year public university because I know how much this means to you. The strength and determination that I find within myself to keep on going began within you. 

I remember being around 12 or 13 and wanting to grow up as fast as possible. I thought that being an adult was the next big thing. I believed it would grant me the things a kid yearns for, without even knowing how bad they want it. Respect from others, maturity, freedom, and knowledge, were things I craved as a young girl. Now that I am entering the second decade of my life, I wish I cherished my childhood so much more. I wish I held onto every hug from you guys longer, spent less time glued to my phone screen and asked for much less useless toys as a kid.  Even then, as a girl who barely knew the concept of working or intensive labor, I always knew the sacrifices you two made to help pave the way for my own opportunities. 

I wish that there was a way for me to pay you back for all of the love that I know that you deserve much more than me on days that are just too hard. I want to truly apologize for ever underestimating the stress and energy it takes to raise children and make time for yourself at the same time. The past couple of years have probably been the most pivotal. Times were changing way too fast and I could have never been ready for what storm came my way.

Dad, even if you live on the other side of the country, I know your support and love does not fall short in the slightest. 

Mom, I know I’m only 102 miles away but thank you for sending me frozen food from Grandma’s kitchen. That’s home for me. 

I’m still learning how to solve my own problems without calling you guys every single minute of the day for help. I’m still growing into the woman I want to be. But don’t you worry, I cook my eggs with chopsticks, wash my rice before I cook it and even completely dry my hair after every shower just like you guys taught me. 

Just to make it clear, you guys are the most hard-working parents I have ever known. There is no one else out there who would walk the extra mile over and over again just to make sure their family is as comfortable as they can be. So thank you. Thank you for never giving up on me and thank you for showing me the best lessons in life to follow and pass down to future generations — cheers to a hard-working family legacy. 

Love, 

Victoria Nguyen 

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