*This is an ode to every mother left by their prodigal daughters. 

They say I am the next in line, heiress to the throne, the princess to her Queendom.
The pampered daughter. The spoiled kid.
Ask and I shall receive.
Ask, I did. I said, ‘Freedom, that’s what I need.’

She introduced me to people I never knew I’ll get to meet.
Sat beside her and shook the hands of Gods during her usual meet & greet.
She slayed witches and monsters.
And never let me taste the bitterness of defeat.

She brought me  to places I never knew I’ll see.
We dined in Orsay and explored The Louvre room after room.
She made my Van Gogh dreams come true.
Enjoyed sunrise in Prague and basked in Paris afternoons.

We had long drives, took the earliest and latest flights.
Crossed seas and explored the entire country.
Had a lot of heated calls and sleepless nights.
I mocked her bag hoarding but she indulged me in my madness for caffeine.

All these and yet I chose to leave to make my own scene.
Got the nerve to say “Allow me to wean.“
As if the love she showered were nothing.
But there’s this need to live my own life, my younger years are fleeting.

I have always felt safe under her wings.
It’s high time to face some battles alone.
I need to take some beating.
I need to learn the art of losing.

Fret not for in my heart of hearts, this girl will always remember.
A woman her calibre will no doubt soon recover.
To some, she may be a high-heel wearing meanie.
To me she was never a boss, she was my mentor, my bestie.

[Entry 223, The SubSelfie Blog]

About the Author

Elena Marie Domingo is now a freelance Qualitative Research consultant after her eight-year stint in Market Research. She is the country representative to the Youth ESOMAR Society. When not in search for great consumer insights, Elena visits art galleries and travels in and out of the country in search for good tasting coffee.