[Everglow.]

Hey Skye,

Thank you for what you wrote, I really think the last paragraph is so important and something you should try to remind yourself of too. Being good at something is always a bonus, but if you're happy and enjoying yourself, that's even better in my eyes.

Comparisons make it hard to do that so what you've said about feeling a failure makes total sense, however you're not a failure. Everyone is different; we all learn at different rates, pick some things up easier than others, and struggle in many areas. That's all a part of being human. Your score on the exam was still insanely good, and you should be so so proud of achieving that. I think parents sometimes forget the impact of how they react to things like this. They might think it's a way to spur you on to do better but in reality it's so demotivating when you've tried so hard, done SO well, and it still feels like it isn't enough. Do you feel like maybe this is something you could discuss with them? If so, a conversation about the reality of their reactions might help them see that what they're doing can be very harmful and actually have the opposite effect to what they might be hoping for.

Otherwise, try to reassure yourself that everything you're doing is enough. Easier said than done, I know, but self-reassurance can be really powerful too. If you've tried, then you have absolutely nothing to feel ashamed of. If you've tried, you haven't failed. If you're achieving 98%, 97%, ot 37%, as long as you've put work in, and you've done your best, you're on the right tracks. Nobody is perfect and there's improvements that can be made to everyone, but try to remind yourself as often as you can of the words you said at the end of your post because that's advice everyone needs to hear at times.

Congratulations again on your amazing result - you did really well! I hope you're holding up okay