At A Glance
Author	Millie
Contact	[email protected]
When	N/A

To mum,

Why can't you accept me the way I am? I'm your teenaged daughter begging you to love me unconditionally, the girl you brought up happily for 16 years then stopped over a piercing. Please mum can't you understand that the metal doesn't change my personality or my feelings towards you but your negative reactions will distance what was such a nice relationship. I'm not going to ask you to like/love my piercings, scars or future tattoos but please don't hate me over them. The metal means an awful lot to me; it marks stages in my life that I honestly never thought I'd reach. I know you see me as the rebellious daughter most of the time but I never meant to hurt you.

I'm going to be modified for life. I enjoy it. Please don't let it ruin what we have/had over the last 16 years. I'm still your daughter but now I'm adorned in pieces of metal and scars you seem to hate me, didn't you say to me to stay true to myself? I'm being true now mum. I'm not giving into peer pressure, I'm being me. Metal included, scars engraved.

I remembered what you taught me when I was young, don't judge people by what you see, well why are you disregarding such a valuable piece of advice? If members of the public treated me this way, you'd be angry but you're encouraging it. Can't you see how much these piercings and scars mean to me?

After all we've been through together I thought you'd understand my choice. It's an area I can totally control. I choose to have these piercings, I respected your decision not to let me when I was younger but now I'm going to a really good studio that will pierce 16+. I feel happy here mum. Can't you see every time you say you hate my piercings that tears well up in my eyes? You've hurt me, maybe I hurt you too.

I'm your 16 year old daughter asking for your acceptance in a world that is so negative towards modified people already. I'm your child, the one you babied for 16 years asking for your support.

In effect you are supporting all the people who ever bullied me at school. Didn't you actively fight for me then? Why can't you see I'm still your little girl asking for your love? Behind the metal I'm still your daughter, I'm still the child that smiles at you on a night, the child who will love you know matter how much you hurt me. I don't want to fight anymore. I ask you why you dislike them so much and you laugh as if I'm a 2 year old asking why I can't have my more cake. I'm making my own decisions I thought you'd be proud, I honestly thought you'd be happy that I like my body enough to adorn it with lovely high quality pieces of metal. I'm not asking you for much but please don't make such a small thing come between us. Does the metal change my mind, my personality or my soul for the worse? No it changes it for the better I feel empowered that I can over come things that most people my age would faint at. I'm happy that I can accept people who have facial implants, tattoos and piercings for what they are, people. I don't frown upon somebody who has these modifications I smile and ask who did them; I treat them like they were a friend because I know how it feels to be an out-cast.

The negativity you give me is pushing me away not drawing me towards you; the people I've met through body modification are the nicest most accepting people I've ever spoken to in my life. I enjoy being part of it. It hurts me to think that if you can dislike your own daughter as much as you seem to what would you do to a modified person in the street? How can you judge me and expect others to accept me? I always tried to be a good person; I help the old and the young. I wont be the girl who participates in "happy-slapping" I'll be the girl actively fighting against it. Please mum, accept me for who I am, the modifications as well.

How can something so beautiful make you hate me? Take a look at me, at all the things I stand for and against? My piercings and scars will never change that. Does it not bother you that I'm your child fighting for my rights to be me? If you stood by me through the piercing it could make us stronger as a family. I got good grades at school and you were pleased why can't you be happy for me now mum?

I'm trying to help society become a nicer place for future generations, are you not able to see that? I don't want people in 16 years from now to have to put up the fight I had to put up. Please let me be me, let me adorn my body with beautiful jewellery and ink, let me enjoy my body. I'll never be your pretty little angel but please don't hate me. I'm modified not nasty.

I love you mum.

I hope this helps parents and the un-modified and even the modified understand that society needs to change in order to accept modification.