Not an ordinary day....

I reached into the mailbox, sifting through the bills and junk and saw it, written in pencil in block letters, addressed by her own hand to me, her mama. I started shaking as I made my way up to the house and had to sit down. I immediately took a picture of it to text to her dad. OMG, my hands are shaking sooooo bad! I need to open this but I don't want to mar the envelope that she has touched. I know inside it is just the "form letter" with her address and tentative graduation date but honestly? It was something SHE touched! With tears streaming down my cheeks I slit open the envelop and sat there with it in my hand, not pulling out the letter, just looking at her handwriting, running my finger over my penciled address - she can actually do block letters pretty.

I pull out the letter and its three pages long, front and back with a staple on the upper left corner. She had to fill in my name, her contact address, her graduation date, the graduation password and list her intended guests. I keep wondering why they don't give these poor kids a pen to write with but then I see an erase mark and as a parent understand that you don't want scratches and unprofessional markings on a letter from the Commanding Officer of the US Navy.

Reality is hitting and I burst into tears. She is really gone - doing some "grown up" thing and I won't see her or talk to her until graduation on July 6th!!! I am terrified that they are going to make her into a different person, one who doesn't have her spark of personality, her loving kindness. Then I see it...its just a small note on the side of the form letter and I know that my daughter will always be who she is and the tears of joy and pride start....

I just got a letter from my sweet daughter, it is only 5 words long but it is FROM HER!!! and now I can actually send that stack of cards that I have written every day.