A poem to my parents as I leave for college

At 1 year old you took me to daycare,

The first time being away from me since birth

You've always told me that this moment was hard for you

Being away from me seemed like pure misery

You had to trust strangers with your prized possession

You let me go

and we survived.

At 5 years old, you dropped me off at kindergarten

A room full of new faces and new toys to play with

Where I would make my first friend and learn to spell my name

The start of highschool, the start of my education

And we survived.

At 12 years old, I started middle school,

You put me on the bus for the first time

Only to be sent to a school with over 500 children

Where being a teenager is tough and you need to stay clear of bad choices

Where bullies can smell fear and kids start to resent their parents

And we survived

At 14 years old, I wanted to be with friends,

I wanted to stay out past 8pm, and I wanted freedom

My attitude was not in check, but you kept me in line

A moment where our bond was at its weakest because of my craving for freedom

And my need for a social life

Where now I realize your reasoning for your rules

And we survived

At 15 years old, I got my first job and

I brought home my girlfriends

Whom you did not approve of

And now I can see, I shouldnt of either..

And we survived

At 16 years old, you watched me back out of the driveway for the first time,

I brought home my first boyfriend who dad kept an eye on

I started being home less often and going out more

You chose to trust me

And we survived

At 18, I have chosen a college but not a major

I will be graduating high school and leaving home

You will drop me off and leave but the difference is you won't be coming to pick me up 7 hours later

I will have to make my own choices and my own accomplishments

You will miss me like crazy as will I but

You will only be single call away, a text or a facetime

My room may seem empty and the house not so lively

Truthfully I am as scared as you are but I know in my heart

It may seem like the end of an era, but it is only the beginning.

I will always be your little girl

And we will survive.