My girl is 24. Dental school. Every weekend studying. For exams she hates. I know she hates it. She says she likes it but I see it. The dead eyes. She used to draw all the time. Still has the sketchbooks, I think. She's good. REALLY good. But no, doctor doctor doctor. Like her dad, like her mom. Both doctors. So she has to be too. They came here, worked so hard. For her. So she could have a better life. So she could be a doctor. Is that it? Is that the better life? I see her. In the kitchen. Head bent over some big book. Always some big book. Friday night. Saturday. Sunday. While her cousins are out doing whatever 24 year olds do. She never complains. Just does it. Smile on her face. A bit too bright. My parents did the same to me. Not dental school, no. Something else. But the pressure. To make them proud. To make all their sacrifices worth something. And you feel it. Heavy. Like a blanket. A really heavy blanket. I want to tell her. Stop. Quit. Do what makes you happy. But how can I? After everything? What would they say? My parents. What would *her* parents say? They worked so hard. And she's so close. Just a few more years. Then she'll be a doctor. A DENTIST. And everyone will be so proud. Will she be happy? Is that even the point? I don't know. Does everyone feel this? Watching their kids? And feeling like you can't say anything? What if I say something and it breaks everything. Like she quits. And then she's mad at me. For messing it up. Or worse, she's happy but then her parents hate me forever. Too much.