To Mom and Dad, my anchor and my compass

This is an open letter to my mom and dad. You are my anchor and my compass. I love you with all my heart.

To my Mom, my anchor;

I am just a small boat, floating on the vast ocean that is called life. But the currents of the ocean cannot hold a candle to the calmness and storminess of living. A small boat like mine could never survive this realm without an anchor. I cannot survive without you, Mom.

You wouldn’t let me drift out to the ocean, fully knowing that I can’t handle the uncertainty of it all. But most of the time, you let me sail freely because you trust me. You know me well enough that I’ll come back to the shore. That I’ll come back home in one piece.

You are my anchor. You are my safety. And you are what keeps me afloat. For the years to come, you will still be attached to me. Because a little boat, and even a Titanic, could never sail without its anchor.

To my Dad, my compass;

From the moment I was born, you were the one who guided me on my path. You were the figure of my childhood, the strongman of my teenage years, and the devastation of my young adulthood. You are my compass. Everything I did and everything I am doing now is because of your guidance.

When I was a child, you pointed me to the direction of my hobbies and interests. You introduced me to things only the both of us could enjoy and laugh about. When I was a teenager, I strayed away from you. I thought that you imposed too much on my life, so I detached myself from your guidance and discovered life on my own. But you were still my compass. So I came back to where we started. I came back to the path we created.

But then you were my greatest devastation. I often ask the universe why the ocean took my compass away right at the moment when I needed it the most. The seas I was venturing were full of uncertainties but I lost you. I wandered around places, without a clear vision of the future. And even at this point, I cannot fully come to terms with it. But I’m working on it. I truly am.

You are no longer my compass, you cannot point me in a direction anymore. But when I need you, I just look up at the sky. I look up to remember what you taught me and what you want me to become. You are now my North Star. And I’ll continue to sail the ocean with my anchor by my side and with you watching from the sky.

I love you, my anchor and my North Star. Thank you for everything.

Love,
Little Boat