What a heartfelt article, and one I can identify with well despite English being my first and only language. I'd tell the author that this affects all of us, no

What a heartfelt article, and one I can identify with well despite English being my first and only language. I'd tell the author that this affects all of us, not just those struggling with forgetting a first language (although that must throw the situation into even starker relief). I still wish that I could relate to my parents on a deeper level, although their English is fluent and near perfect. Perhaps their fluency in general has slowly declined with age, which could be a factor. But there are certainly times where I feel stuck in small talk with them. I hope the author has children one day. It's the ultimate gift of being able to relate to your parents. Suddenly you understand the biggest and most important event of their entire lives: the birth of you, and perhaps your siblings. That can't be described fully in any spoken language, and it adds a beautiful layer to your relationship that you'll both understand so well. Even if you are never once able to speak about it.