Happy 20, Sophia!!!
Your birthday finds you adventuring in a brand new place with brand new people! I'm sure that the week has included moments of anxiety and trepidation, but there you are doing it anyway. I am so very proud of you, Sophia. I can't get over the growth you have made every quarter of school, every day you're on your own.
This birthday feels like a big deal. Your teenage years are behind you, and I know you're grateful for that! There were certainly painful times, but the way you have come through is really impressive.This year it's been so fun watching you create a life for yourself, complete with an amazing group of loyal friends and interested professors who respect you and a home that suits you just so. It's what I have wished for and you have worked for. I'm still not able to fix anything when there are disappointments, but these structures you're building for your life will make it harder for the bastards to get you down.
I think my favorite thing about this last year has been how you have found yourself again in such beautiful and meaningful ways. You are bursting with humor and wit and whimsy, and you are letting others know this side of you. I'm so proud of you for taking the risk of letting others know your true self. By doing so, I hope it helps you to see yourself as others see you - a gift in our lives.
It's so hard to believe that 20 years have passed since we met. I am more grateful to be your mom today even than I was yesterday. Distance doesn't change what you mean to me, and I hope you always feel how loved you are.
Happy birthday, Sophia. This letter comes along with an enormous hug.
Love, Mom
