Crystal Lowder Tamera Davis Composition II 31 January 2014

To my only daughter, I now that we!ve not had a sta"le home over the years# I try my hardest to provide the "est li$e I %an $or you and your "rother, &ust li e your granny did $or me and your 'unt (i%haelle while we were growing up# )e!ve struggled and have, at "est, &ust got "y# (y going "a% to s%hool now is my last dit%h e$$ort to ma e a "etter li$e $or us all even i$ you!re going to "e out o$ the house "y the time I graduate# I want to show you that it!s never too late to gra" your dreams# I want you to go to %ollege and ma e the most o$ it# *inish %ollege while e+perien%ing it at a younger age than I did, get your degree sooner and "e%ome a su%%ess$ul, independent young woman# I want you to e+perien%e %ollege at a younger age so that you %an have $un, meet new $riends that will last a li$etime and "e a su%%ess$ul ,-./0 adult# )hen I $irst graduated high s%hool, I hadn!t really thought a"out going to %ollege# I really didn!t thin it was an option $or me sin%e we made so little# 1ventually someone tal ed me into applying, and my $irst $ew wee s were great# '"out hal$way through that $irst semester, I learned I was pregnant with you# This put my %ollege %areer on hold# I would have loved to $inish, "ut I had a new priority# ,ou %ame $irst# I %ouldn!t e+perien%e %ollege to the $ullest# I didn!t get to have $un meeting new people, and I %ertainly didn!t get to "e that su%%ess$ul young woman that I had planned to "e# That!s $ine though# I had you, and to me, that!s all that mattered# 2owever, I want you to ma e new $riends that you!ll eep $or li$e, and I want you to "e that su%%ess$ul woman I never go to "e#

I want that su%%ess$ul independen%e $or you# -ver the years I!ve had to rely on various people $or help &ust to get "y# I don!t now where I would "e without your granny# 3he is an ama4ing woman and has always "een there $or us# I!ve always wanted to "e independent and not have to run home to mommy as ing $or ten dollars to put gas in the %ar or twenty dollars $or gro%eries# 1ven now I!m having to as her to %osign a loan so we %an get a trailer to put out on her land# I want you to have the independen%e I!ve not "een a"le to have $or us over the years# The same independen%e I!m trying to a%hieve now "y going "a% to s%hool a$ter all these years# I want you to "e $inan%ially sta"le and not have to worry a"out running to me $or that e+tra ten or twenty dollars# I will always "e here $or you, though, &ust as your granny is $or me# I &ust don!t want you to have to worry a"out anything in li$e# I want you to $inish your degree sooner rather than later so that you %an $ind yoursel$ a pro$ita"le &o", still "e young enough to go $ar in your %areer o$ %hoi%e and prepare yoursel$ $or the ne+t stage in your li$e "e that a hus"and, ids, whatever you %hoose# -ver the years I!ve had to live pay%he% to pay%he% "arely s%raping "y some months# I don!t want that $or you# I want you to have a sta"le in%ome "e$ore $inding a hus"and and having ids# ,ou deserve the "est, and it!s worth waiting $or# 1n&oy your twenties while you %an5 Learn $rom them# .se the time to grow, and esta"lish yoursel$ as a su%%ess$ul, independent adult# 6e the "est you %an "e doing something you love, and most o$ all, remem"er that I am always here $or you# I love you5 Love, (om