You might not have intended or meant to say that, but I parse "You might have been held back due to gender- I can't possibly know. But I wouldn't consider it a

You might not have intended or meant to say that, but I parse "You might have been held back due to gender- I can't possibly know. But I wouldn't consider it a bad thing, probably the extra fight taught you to appreciate what you were learning in the first place." the same way as your parent comment. Just a heads-up.