From Dad
“I spent years being the one who knew how things worked and what to do next. You passed me somewhere along the way and I have never been so pleased to lose.”
“You were ready for this day a long time before I was. But watching you unpack your own life has made me so proud.”
“Even on a freezing morning of recess duty, you still find a way to smile. Those kids will not remember the weather. They will remember you.”
“Straighten your crown and keep going. You have given me so many reasons to be proud of the woman you've become. I want you to know my heart walks with you even when my arms cannot.”
“Before you start the next big thing, take a few days to just rest. You have earned a break, a good meal and a lot of sleep.”
“Every year I open the ornament box and find the ones you made in school. They are a little crooked, and they still go right at the front.”
“I spent years trying to give you two things, roots and wings. Watching you fly off today, I think we got both of them right.”
“I raised you with roots to remember where you came from and the love that will always anchor you. And wings to reach for the stars and become everything you're meant to be.”
“I miss making you pancakes on Saturday mornings, shaped like your initials. They never came out right, and you ate every one of them anyway.”
“You used to eat half the cookie dough before it ever reached the oven. I pretended not to notice, because watching you was the best part of baking.”
“When we dance today, I will probably step on your feet like I always do. But I will be holding on to every second of it, and smiling the whole time.”
“Somewhere there is a kid who finally loves to read because you did not give up. You will probably never hear about it, so I wanted to say it for them.”
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and loved more than you know. You will never lose. You either win or learn. Aim for the skies and never stop trying. I'm so proud of the incredible woman you are becoming every single day.”
“Today I keep thinking of the little kid who never once gave up. She is still in there, and she just walked across that stage in a cap and gown.”
“I still remember walking you to your very first day of school. You let go of my hand and never looked back, and look at you now.”
“I used to help with your homework, until it got too hard for me. That was years ago, and you have been leaving me behind ever since.”
“When I saw you in your dress, I forgot everything I had planned to say. So I wrote it down instead. You look beautiful, and you look so happy.”
“You have held a lot of hands through a lot of hard moments. Today I hope someone holds yours and tells you how wonderful you are.”
“When you're too afraid to look ahead, look right beside you. I will always be there. Believe that you're capable of achieving anything. You will never lose, you either win or learn. Aim for the skies.”
“You have wanted to teach since you lined up your stuffed animals for spelling tests. Today you get a real classroom, and some very lucky kids get you.”
“All I ever wanted was for you to find someone who makes you laugh. Watching you two together, I know you found that and so much more.”
“You come home tired, but never without a story about someone you helped. That tells me everything I need to know about the kind of nurse you are.”
“I stood outside after you graduated, trying to find something decent. What I managed was a comment about the traffic and where we had parked.”
“She believed she could, so she did. Take pride in how far you've come. Have faith in how far you can go. You are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to.”