To my parents, who don’t always text back right away: this letter is for you.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Abby, there are days when you literally” (props to my mother for being up to date on 21st century misuse of the word ‘literally’) “don’t respond to our texts until hours later, maybe even the next day. How can you even justify this article topic?”*
Well… that is true. But this isn’t about me. This is about you, and your frequent inability to text me back in a timely fashion (i.e. anywhere from one to ten minutes).
I don’t ask for much. As a young adult in a highly respectable college, I pride myself on my independence and ingenuity, two skills that have made me an incredibly self-reliant individual over the last few years. I’ve learned how to ask for help, how to use my resources, and how to problem solve using my own merit and experience whenever I come across an unfamiliar situation.
So when I do reach out with a text message and ask for something, it’s most likely because I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing and need a response ASAP.
Like when I got my flu shot last week, and some nice lady handed me a form with a question about my health insurance on it, and my mind suddenly went blank because I couldn’t remember the name of the company that’s been medically supporting me since I was a child.
Or over the summer, when I was filling out an I-9 form during orientation for my first job and I pretended to stare at the boxes with a thoughtful expression on my face, while I was secretly having a panic attack inside as all the little black lines blurred into one.
Or most recently, when I found myself with a surprise 2 hour break when one of my professors canceled class, and decided to reward myself with a little solo Game of Thrones viewing party, but then couldn’t log in because the HBO password had been changed.
In all of those situations, I really would’ve appreciated it if you had responded to my text message questions as soon as I had posed them.
I know you have jobs, other children, priorities that exist outside of caring for your Ivy League daughter balancing on the cusp of adulthood. But for crying out loud, I am your offspring, literally from you. Again, there is not much that I ask for… and really, how long does it take to type out some 10-character password to your curious daughter?
That being said, I really do appreciate everything you do for me. Even before my text messaging days, I’ve always known you two had my back. You’ve helped shape me into the person I am today. Please know that despite my rants, I truly do appreciate everything you do for me: from allowing me to pursue my passions, loving me unconditionally, and helping me achieve my dreams of attending this incredible school. And even here in Providence, when I’m not able to see your faces every day, I am beyond thankful for all that you’ve given me.
But seriously – please answer my texts. As soon as possible. We don’t want to repeat the first debit card fiasco…right?
*quote from a real conversation I had with my mother when I told her about the topic of this article
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