Welcome to the forum! Wanting someone to be proud of us is a childhood need. I don't necessarily see that it has to mean that you are asking if you are better now.
This is from a Psychology Today article:
quote:Praise, like a smile or a gleam in our eye, is different. It is a deeply intrinsic human need. If we think of praise in this way—as a basic need, not a “technique” for raising obedient children—our understanding (and our advice to parents) fundamentally changes.
Praise is ubiquitous in our adult lives. No matter how self-reliant we have become, the opinions of others (especially the opinions of people we look up to and admire) matter—to all of us, throughout life. When we have worked hard and done a good job, we want (and need) people to tell us that we’ve done a good job.
I wanted my old therapist to be proud of him. He too missed it but was focusing on something else. When I brought it to his attention, he told me that he WAS proud of me. He just didn't know that that was what I needed to know at that moment.
Hope it went well today.