But I notice and I see you.
I see the weight you put upon your shoulders.
I see the way you carry burdens that were never yours to bear.
Yet you carry these burdens still, without complaint, without pause, without hesitation.
I see the times that you were tired, you were struggling, and you were still always there for me.
I notice all of the sacrifices you made.
The unseen battles you fought alone.
The times you shielded me from the things you were going through.
I have watched you stand strong, even when the world is pushing against you.
Even when exhaustion has settled deep within your bones.
You remain unshaken, unbreakable, unwavering.
Through chaos and change, through cold and confusion, you are constant.
I never truly knew how much weight you carried, because you never let it fall on me.
You provide the warmth, the reassurance, the emotional availability I need when my father continues to fall short.
Where his words are few, yours are endless.
You are my lighthouse.
A guiding light that does not dim
Your light does not flicker.
Your light cuts through the darkness.
No matter how far I drift amongst this dark and vast ocean.
No matter how wild the waves rage
You are there.
You are steady.
Holding me before the waves can pull me under.
You are the reason I know what love looks like.
You are love in its truest form.
You have shown me that love doesn't always present itself in words, but in unspoken actions.
Your strength has shaped me into the person I am today.
If I am kind, it is because I know your heart.
If I am brave, it is because I have seen your strength.
I owe it all to you.
--Julia F., 9th-12th Grade