Dear Gabri,

I look at you now and I am PROUD. All that you’ve accomplished is just amazing! You graduated top 25 of your class. Stayed in magnet all four years, kept great grades. You made and kept amazing friendships. And got into all your schools you applied to! Graduating from Georgia Tech with your engineering degree. This is great darling! Ha. Anyways, being the engineer that you’ve hoped and dreamed of becoming is just the beginning. You’ve got accepted into the Aerospace Engineering program at NASA! To design and build rockets and shuttles with a team of people just like you. You know daddy and momma are proud that you achieved so much!

But, let’s think about how you got there.. If it wasn’t for Daddy and Momma, there would be no Gabri. If their encouraging words and strong hearts that pushed you through all the rough and definitely the better times weren’t present, you wouldn’t have made it so far. I know it was hard growing up with them sometimes, but they always wanted you to be the strong person you are now. Little Niani was always there to dry your tears after a bad meet or practice when Daddy was upset about your times or place you came in. She was always the one to approve or disapprove of best friends and prom dates. She was your little sidekick, regardless of how annoying she could be. Your best and only sister. You had good friends that helped you through the heartbreak, the betrayal, and just when you needed them. As you were to them. You had a plethora of people who helped you get to your successes, and they all played and still play key parts in your life.

You can’t forget about swimming and track and writing and music! If it wasn’t for them, you would’ve never gotten the full ride to GA Tech. How swimming was your first love. How you did everything you had to do to win! How music and writing were your outlet when nobody understood. How the music could speak to you in sadness, remorse, happiness, and exuberance. How writing down your feelings instead of being angry and saying the wrong things. How both of them were ways to express yourself without words. Funny way you thought huh? How a bunch of people didn’t understand how much you just wanted to succeed in life, and I guess now, you’re showing them, girl! ?

The last words I want to leave you with are a repetition from the beginning of my letter. I am ridiculously proud of you Gabri Marcia, and I can’t wait for you to see you do more innovative things later on in your life.

Love,
Gabri. <3