I’ve been holding a grudge against you for the past 23 years of my life. I think you already knew that. But right now, I don’t anymore. It wasn’t so easy accepting the situation neither was it any easier understanding it. I realized we’re all far from perfect, and somehow, my ideals were different from what was real. Because my reality and your reality is different. We move in different circles and somehow, we speak different language too. In effect, we didn’t communicate nor we ever tried to. Yes, we do talk sometimes, but talking doesn’t necessarily mean that we are communicating…that we are hearing each others’ points.

I have always told you how bad a father and a husband you were. We never got to walk in the park together, we never shared father-daughter talks, it feels like we have no relationship at all except that your sperm was the one who made half of me.

But I got to say this, I forgive you. I forgive you for hurting me, us; for if not for that I would not have become a sensitive person. I would not have tried to be better. I would not have become who I am today.

Your failure proved my strength.

“Happy Birthday…Father”