gratitude speech

In Japan it is the norm for the daughter to give a speech of thanks to her parents, showing how appreciative she is for what they have done to raise her. It also has meaning because not only is she expressing thanks but also bidding goodbye to them as their 'little girl.'

I procrastinated for ages, putting it off until the last minute possible (I finally got around to it Sunday morning, 2 hours before heading to the wedding house) because I just knew it would make me a bit sad. Writing it alone brought tears to my eyes, making Hiro wonder how on Earth I could present it when I could not even rehearse it in the comfort of my own home.

Come showtime on Sunday. My mom was bawling out her eyes after I presented her a bouquet of flowers...and I had yet to give my speech! Hard to keep composed seeing one's parents weep away. Starting the speech was the hardest part - I kept choking up and found my voice quavering. After a few lines it got better and I focused on reading, not daring to look at my parents for fear of breaking down.

Phew - made it through without sobbing like a blubbermouth. Though it was tough, I was glad to have this formal bid 'farewell' to my parents. As cliche has it, closure is good.