08/24/2026
She's always walked to the beat of her own drum. She wore second-hand clothes and my old 90's leather jacket for the first part of her senior session. For a seemingly laid-back kid, she is and always has been loud, even from infancy. She is constantly making noise, and we eventually realized that she's been singing since before she knew words. She picked up a guitar and it instantly became an appendage that seemed to have always been by her side. She's kind, goofy, and believes in herself unwaveringly, even when things don't go as she planned.
And for all of this, I'm thanking God on this first day of her senior year and on her sister's first day of freshman year. If I do nothing else in this lifetime, I'll be grateful for the humans I get to raise and I'm proud of the mark they are making on this world already in their short lifetimes. They've both taught me so much ...about myself, about love, compromise, picking battles, and yes, even letting go. Especially about letting go.
I'm not ready for this year, but if this sweet soul has taught me anything, it's that you sometimes have to do things before you're ready and you've got to believe in yourself every step of the way. Love you so, so much, Sof.
