Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Have I told you lately how proud I am of you?



I don't think I tell you this often enough, Kelsey, but I'm very proud of you.

I'm proud of your work ethic. It takes a lot of self-discipline to go to school full-time and to work three part-time jobs, especially when the jobs are very physically demanding. Whether you're working as a hairdresser or as a dance teacher or as a nanny, I know that you give your best effort at your workplaces. Even when you're stressed out or sick, you suck it up and you show up. I respect that about you.

I'm proud of your intellect. You work hard to earn good grades, but there have been times you made mistakes and didn't perform as well as you wanted. Your intellect enabled you to regroup and make better academic decisions. You think things through, plan, and act accordingly. You let your brain instead of your emotions guide you most of the time. I'm so glad that you have the intellectual capability to lead a rational life.

I'm proud of your humor. When you call me to tell me a silly story or a bit of ironic news, I get so much enjoyment out of your sense of humor. You are wry and sarcastic and command language in a way that reminds me how quick-witted you are. Most importantly though, your humor is almost never directed at someone else. I don't like people who are mean-spirited in their humor, and you haven't chosen that path. Your humor is more of the "life is crazy" or self-deprecating sort. I can't imagine where you picked up that tendency. ;)

I'm proud of your kindness. While you don't necessarily wear that kindness for all to see, I know the soft heart that you possess. You love animals and little kids and the elderly. You are by your nature a nurturer, even though that might surprise some people. Like me, you guard that part of yourself from people who don't know you well. When I catch your moments of tenderness, it fills me with a sense of pride and happiness that's hard to explain. I know I had something to do with that; I know your tenderness makes the world a little bit better place.

I'm proud of your relationships.  This picture of Jake is a great reminder to me that you are in a committed relationship that makes you happy. I'm so glad that is true. I'm also proud of your friendships among people of different religions, races, ethnicities, ages, educational levels, and interests. You truly are someone who sees others for who they are and accepts them.  Related to your kindness, your ability to form and maintain relationships makes me feel like I may have just done some of that parenting stuff correctly.

So, yeah, I'm proud of the woman you already are, and I can't wait to see how you continue to grow and change. Mama loves her Bug!

1 comment:

  1. Well this about made me cry! What a great page this would make!

    ReplyDelete