Mother I’ve grown old slaving away to your every wish – I am my own person. When she expects me to wash the clothes, I wash the clothes; when asked to sew a button or hem a dress, I do without complaint. These things I know are just chores and expressions of tough love but I cannot continue to live this way through ignorance. I understand that she can be difficult on me because she knows the world is not a kind and forgiving place. She may shove me and kick me around but she will always be my mother and love me until the end. It is for this reason she is always so difficult on me – she is protecting me for when people do the same but do not have the love and good intentions behind it.

-a boy named sue