My dearest daughter,
As I sit here watching the sun dip below the horizon, casting its golden light over the world, I can’t help but think of you. I think of the woman you’ve become—strong, kind, full of love—and I feel an overwhelming sense of pride. But today, I want to share something with you about love stories and happy endings, a lesson I’ve carried in my heart for many years.
When I was younger, I believed love stories were like the ones in fairy tales—simple, effortless, and always ending in perfection. I thought love meant finding someone who made your heart race, who whispered sweet promises and held your hand through every storm. And while those moments are beautiful, they are not the whole story.
Your father and I, for example, didn’t always have a smooth path. There were days when we struggled, when misunderstandings felt heavy, and life pulled us in different directions. But it was in those moments that I learned what true love really is. It isn’t the absence of hardship; it’s the presence of commitment, patience, and the choice to keep loving, even when it’s difficult. Love is found in the quiet moments when no one is watching—the way he would make me tea when I was too tired, the way we’d sit in silence after a long day, just knowing we had each other.
I remember one night, after a particularly hard week, I was sitting alone in our small kitchen, feeling lost and questioning everything. The weight of life felt too heavy, and for a moment, I wondered if all those fairy tales had lied. But then, your father came in, didn’t say a word, and sat down next to me. He took my hand and said, “We’re in this together, no matter what.” That’s when I realized something: love stories aren’t about perfect endings. They’re about choosing to stay when it would be easier to walk away, about holding on to each other when the world feels unkind.
Your own love story, my sweet daughter, will be just as unique. There will be highs that make you feel like you’re floating, and lows that may make you question everything. But remember this: true love is not in the grand gestures, but in the small, everyday acts of kindness, in the willingness to grow together, to forgive, and to keep choosing each other.
Happy endings, I’ve come to realize, aren’t about riding off into the sunset with everything neatly tied up. They’re about the journey, about two people who learn to navigate life together, who find joy in the imperfections and beauty in the flaws. They’re about the decision to build a life, day by day, filled with love, laughter, and yes, even heartache.ila Grace Reynold
As you step into your own story, know that I believe in you. You will write a love story that is uniquely yours, with its own chapters of joy and struggle. And it will be beautiful, not because it is perfect, but because it will be real, full of depth and meaning. And that, my darling, is the truest happy ending of all.
With all my love,
Mom
