For my daughter's high school graduation ceremony, we - the parents - were asked to write a letter and place it in a sealed envelope to be presented it to them as part of the farewell-to-school package. Here is the public version of what I wrote. Thank you for looking. The journaling reads:
It is often said that we only get 18 years with our children and then they leave and build a life away from us. I certainly hope, that won’t be our case, that just because you will be out of our house, it won't mean you will be out of our life. I’m so looking forward to the next 40 or so years of you being my equal. Oh, the conversations we would have - over a no-nonsense cup of coffee, or while sipping decadently flavored tea or enjoying a well-earned glass of something at the end of a long day! There are so many cakes to be baked, books to be discussed, moments to be shared… I can't wait to meet the adult you are about to become.
At the same time, I hope you know, this will always be your home and no matter what happens in your life or what terms we are on, you can always come home. If a relationship fails, life gets too complex, bills become too much - come home. If you mess up or feel lost - come home. If you just need someone to vent to or explain stuff to - come home. The door will always be open, and you will always be welcome because, not to sound like a broken record, this is your home - wherever in the world we are.
And I hope you know that I love you. I love you more than your grades or your determination or the lemon merengue pie you bake. I love you more than your mistakes, more than your moods, your messy room or your silence. I love you more than anything you will ever achieve, however grand that might be, more than any failure you might ever experience, no matter how disastrous. I love you when I agree with you, disagree with you or don't understand you. I love you when you love me, don't love me or don't even like me. I love you today, I will love you tomorrow and every day until the end of time. You are my daughter and there is nothing you can do to make me stop loving you.
So go out there and make a life of your own. And remember, you don't come from a place, but from a heart.
