I have listened to you for as long as I can remember. I have listened to you when I first started talking; I have listened to you and followed you around when I first started walking. You were someone who I looked up to, you were my role model. I trusted every word you said, and held onto every lesson you taught. But you soon started to take advantage of my lack of knowledge of the world and my naivety. You started to nit-pick everything I did and everything I said. You were never proud of me. Everything always had to be done your way or you would nag and nag and nag into the next day. You never let a simple mistake slide; the tiniest slip-up would make you angry for two whole days.

I hope you understand I have grown into a young adult. I have my own personality and begun to form my own opinions. I want to be able to speak my mind and to do things my own way. I no longer want to be told what to do or how to work on a certain chore. I should not have to be disciplined on the way I work on a certain task. I should not have to be hounded over the way I wash the clothes, or the way I cook food. I should not be demoralized by being called a slut because you do not like the sight of my outfit. I should not be looked at in disapproval for trivial mistakes like buying cotton that has gum in it or eating in a humane way. I want to be able to behave like the way other girls are able to in Sunday school. I want to smile whenever I want without having to worry if I’m smiling too much or too little. I want to be free.