I still want to be emotionally recognized, not only cared for

Dear Delyara, Care and recognition are not the same thing. I know my parents cared in the ways they knew how. But sometimes what I still ache for is emotional recognition — the kind that sees not only the practical reality of my life but the shape of what it costs me. The kind that says, without awkwardness, I can tell this is heavy for you. That kind of seeing still feels missing. And I still miss it.