I’m Aya, 21, living alone after finding a job far from home. My mother’s mood swings were intense, and I always tried not to upset her. But after years of walking on eggshells, I couldn’t take it anymore. Life without worrying about her mood was so freeing that I didn’t want to go back. When she scolded me for not visiting, I finally said it—I’m no longer your daughter.
Maybe I’m an ungrateful daughter for cutting ties with my mom over something like this. Since then, she hasn’t contacted me at all—maybe that was her way of respecting my decision. I don’t regret leaving her, not even for a second. But if time passes and I ever feel ready to talk again, could we start over as mother and daughter? If true filial piety means a child’s happiness, I hope she understands that saying goodbye was my way of loving her.