From Dad
“Watching you receive your nursing pin was one of the proudest moments of my life. You chose a job that asks a lot of the heart, and yours is more than ready.”
“I may not carry you in my arms anymore, but I will always carry you in my heart. Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know.”
“You are starting over in a new city, with new streets and new faces. I know it feels big, but you have never been one to shrink from something big.”
“I hope the drive home after a long shift gives you a few quiet minutes. Use them to remember how much good you did for people today.”
“Some of my favorite talks with you happened in the car, with nowhere to be. You told me things on those drives that you never said at the dinner table.”
“People sometimes ask me what I am most proud of in my life. I never have to think about it. The answer is always you.”
“Every year I try to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday. So if this card arrives early, now you know who won the race.”
“On your first birthday you blew out one candle and clapped for yourself. I have been clapping for you ever since, and I do not plan to stop.”
“My heart walks with you and holds you even when my arms cannot. On your special day, remember you will never lose. You either win or learn. Aim for the skies, sweetheart. Happy birthday!”
“Somewhere tonight, a family is resting easier because of you. You may never hear about it, but the good you do travels a long way.”
“I hope you believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know.”
“You never unwrapped a present slowly in your whole life. There was paper everywhere, and it was the happiest mess I have ever seen.”
“I remember the class that nearly made you quit, and the night you stayed. That night taught you more than any textbook ever could.”
“You have your own keys now, your own front door and your own rules. The key to our house still works, and it always will.”
“You spent years learning how to teach, and you never stopped being curious yourself. That is the kind of teacher kids remember for the rest of their lives.”
“You teach a room full of kids every day, but you have taught me a lot too. Mostly about patience, and how far a little kindness can go.”
“Some people walk into a room and make it a little brighter. You have been doing that since the day you learned to walk.”
“You remember how I take my coffee and which old songs make me smile. It is the little things you do that tell me how much you care.”
“Your desk is probably covered in mugs, candles and cards from twenty small fans. Here is one more, from the fan who has been cheering for you the longest.”
“I saw the light under your door on all those late nights of studying. You never asked for applause. You just kept going until you finished.”
“Years from now, some grown-up will still remember your name. They will tell someone about the teacher who made them feel clever.”
“The lopsided ornament you made in second grade still goes on the tree first. It is not the prettiest one we own, but it is my favorite.”
“You spent years sitting at a desk, and now you get the one at the front. Your students are lucky. They are getting a teacher who truly cares.”
“The pencil marks on the kitchen doorframe stopped a long time ago. But I still measure you every year, by how much prouder you make me.”