Dearest Mom,
It feels like it was just yesterday when you were dropping me off for my first day of pre-school. I remember the way you looked at me that morning, holding me tightly as if to say "Don't go. Don't grow up so fast." For the past few weeks, you have had that same look on your face, knowing that in a few short days I will not only be graduating from high school, but from childhood as well. I know that this is a hard time for you, being that your little girl is growing up and that most of your responsibilities as a parent are slowly starting to drift away. All the trips to the park, the chorus concerts and musicals, the parent-teacher conferences and the play-dates are over. The countless hours of driving me from place to place, whether it be rehearsal or a friend's house. All the things that you repeatedly told me you "loved every minute of" have come and gone and all I can possibly say is thank you. Everything you've done for me leading up to this moment has shaped me into the person I am today. For that, there will never be enough words to say how thankful I am.
Not only have you cared for me throughout these 18 years, you have become my rock and my shoulder to cry on. From the $6 Tuesday movie nights we always take advantage of to the 3:00 a.m. late night talks about boys and life in general, you have showed me what a true best friend is. No matter how hard something in school became, you gave me different solutions on how to tackle it. If I ever felt like I wasn't good enough, you made me feel like the most special human being on this earth. You were the constant support that I needed throughout my musical and theatrical experiences. There was never a time in my life where I felt like I was lacking care and kindness in my life because you showed me how amazing this world could really be. You are the epitome of what a mother should be. You've given me as much as you possibly can with the expectation of nothing in return. You've taught me more important life lessons than one could learn from a textbook.
You've taught me that it is important to love selflessly, without fear of being hurt. You've taught me to respect everybody and most importantly, to respect myself. When somebody hurt me or treated me badly, you would always remind me to stand up for myself because I deserve more than that. You've taught me that beauty means to be confident with who you are and how you feel in your own body. You've consistently reminded me that honesty and loyalty are two characteristics that everyone should have. Most importantly, you've taught me that life truly does begin at the end of your comfort zone and that if you never try, you'll always fail. I might not have always listened to what you told me over the years but I promise you, I will always cherish these lessons.
I bet you never thought that this day would come. These past few months have been really hard for you, doing almost all of the parenting on your own. As much as this is scaring you, it's scaring me just the same. However, I know that with you by my side I can achieve anything I put my mind to. Regardless of that, there are no words to describe how much you mean to me. You are the biggest role model in my life and because of you, I feel like I am truly ready to face the world and all of the challenges ahead of me. If I hadn't had such a protective, strong and selfless mother like you growing up, I don't think I would be able to say that I'm going to college in New York City. Everything you've taught me will forever be ingrained in my memory and I promise you, I will never lose sight of who I am and the dreams I have. You have made me who I am and I am so excited to see where this new journey takes us. All I can ask for is that I can be able to make you as proud as you make me everyday.
I love you more than words can say and I thank you for everything you have done for me.
Love,
Your baby girl
