To The Women Who Raised Me—
You have brought so much into my life that I don’t take for granted—specifically, all the other strong women who you surround yourselves with. You provided me with an army of role models, who I know would fight for me no matter what. You are all like moms to me, and each one of you has reminded me of how much I am loved. To you, the friends of my mother, who love me like your own, I’m so grateful. From the laughs to the unthinkably sad, you were always there for my mom, and for our family. You have taught me what true, lifelong friendship really looks like.
But you are not the only women who have raised me. I also have two of the world’s best grandmothers. You always made sure you were there for every significant moment, and I need you to know that it did not, and does not, go unnoticed. From Sunday dinners, to high school graduation, to any normal day, I have never known a life without your unconditional love and support. Every day you teach me that no matter what, I will always have people cheering me on and praying I succeed. For that, I am so thankful, and so lucky.
As much as any of you people raised me though, no one can compare to you, Mom. I’m pretty lucky to have been raised by you. You have always fought for me. You have surrounded me with people who will build me up, and you always want the best for me, even when I don’t realize for myself what the best is. You are the strongest person I know, and you have been through so much, but no matter what life throws at you, you never let it break you. You have taught me how to fight for myself, and how to stand up to a world in which women are often set up to fail or fall just shy of their dreams. You taught me how it is okay to be vulnerable, and that just because I am, does not mean I am weak. You taught me that just because I am anxious, does not in any way mean that I am not capable of making hard decisions. But most importantly, you taught me that our home will always be home, no matter where life might take me.
For all the women who have raised me, I promise I will not back down. I will always fight for the things I believe in, whether it is for myself or for the benefit of others. I will always empower those around me and try to bring voice to the voiceless. I promise to exhaust every possibility before compromising on something that will affect others negatively. I promise to be as good a person as I can be, because if there is one thing I am sure of, it’s that you all raised me to be a strong, independent self-starter. Finally, I promise to be unapologetically myself, like all of you have been for my entire life—cats, books, anxiety, and all.
With all my love,
One Badass Future Leader