Letter to my Daughter -- High School Graduation

Dear Alyssa:

I can’t believe you have graduated from high school! I remember the day you were born like it was just yesterday. It was absolutely one of the happiest days of my life.

I wanted a little girl SO much. One of these days I’ll tell you about the book How to Choose the Sex of Your Child, but that will have to wait. Suffice it to say, I dreamt about having a daughter … and I even picked out your name years before I was ever pregnant with your big brother, Phil! Alyssa Milano, a cute little girl on Who’s the Boss in the mid- to late- ’80s was the inspiration. I wanted a cute, little Italian name for a cute, little Italian girl … and that’s exactly what we got!

But all throughout the pregnancy, I was convinced that I was having another boy. We found out that I was having a boy during the seventh month of my pregnancy with Phil, but Daddy wouldn’t let me find out the second time around. “You got to do it your way the first time,” he said, “now we do it the old-fashioned way.” In hindsight, however, I think the nurse (who knew I wanted to know) tried to tell me during your sonogram. You were gulping amniotic fluid (which is normal) and the nurse said, “It must be a girl, look at that mouth moving!” To cover herself, she added, “I shouldn’t say that, my son never stops talking.” When you were born on April 2, 1992 at 11:13 p.m., I yelled, “It’s a girl!” You were … and remain … the girl of my dreams.

Now your 18 and I’m so proud of the young woman you have become. You are kind, generous and multi-talented. You are one of those rare people who have equal strength in both the creative and analytical parts of their mind. You are a talented artist—you sing, create paintings, photo collages, and t-shirts—and your baking is truly a fine art. Your greatest academic strength, ironically, is in math. When you were about four, you would set up a “store” on our back porch and put price tags on items and we would “shop” in the store. You would revel in taking the monopoly money from us and making change. Some things never change—you still love money and shopping!

Every parent loves their child, but I think you are one of the most remarkable young women in the world. You are beautiful inside and out. For someone so young, you have so much compassion and wisdom. For your senior autobiography, I had to pick three adjectives to describe you. I chose thoughtful, talented and spiritual. I know that no matter where life’s path takes you, you will succeed … and you will be cherished.

I love you more than life itself ... I love you more ... not possible!

Mom