Dear Ciara, 
I know it can be hard to understand why your life felt so different from the other kids around you. I just need you to know I am so proud of the way you handled yourself amid situations that no child should have to endure, let alone comprehend and take charge of. The trauma that you carry from a childhood woven by threads of addiction, temporary safety, fleeting moments of security, trust issues, and abandonment is nothing short of the heaviest things a person could carry on their back. Yet, you have carried all of it with grace. I, future you, am still healing these wounds and learning how deeply they have impacted every aspect of our life. You have set such a good example for me with the way you showed up and stuck up for yourself. Not just when in defense of yourself, but also with how you chose peace, consideration, and faith over anger, violence, and frustration. Even though your negative feelings were valid in all of the situations you were forced to deal with, the fact that you made the conscious effort to consistently stay optimistic has served me well with the mindset I’ve been able to cultivate in the current years. You raised yourself with little guidance or intervention from the adults in your life, which is something no child should have to learn how to do and you had no other choice but to do it. Yet, you did such a good job. You are not only allowed but also deserve to be proud of who you have become and are still in the process of becoming. Despite having nobody to turn to for so long, the struggles you faced and circumstances you had no control over, have never stood in your way of blossoming into a beautiful and kind-hearted person. The way you also never blamed a single person for the things you dealt with, not even those who probably deserved to be blamed, is admirable. I know it’s not the most light-hearted trait to celebrate but your resilience is what I love the most about you. Resilience is built up over time for most people but you have already proven to be stronger and more capable than many will ever have to be. For this, I am forever grateful to you.