21 Letters – #8 Rakia
There was a time when the world seemed too big,
And the weight of it was too heavy to bear alone.
When I was still just a child,
Teetering on the edge of what was lost,
And all I had was the echo of what could have been.
But then you stepped in,
Not as a sister, but as a mother.
The love you gave was more than love, it was a choice.
A choice to take on the impossible,
To fill the spaces that weren't yours to fill.
You became both the shoulder and the arms
That held me together when the pieces were falling apart.
I remember the way you became everything:
A sister who understood the secrets I whispered,
A mother who knew what I needed before I could ask,
A friend who made me laugh when the world was too serious.
You never said no to what was too much,
You never pulled away when I needed more.
You gave what you had, even when it wasn’t yours to give.
In your care, part of you became part of me.
Your strength, your patience, your way of loving
Became the foundation I stand on today.
I am who I am because you decided
To carry what no one asked you to carry,
what you shouldn't have had to.
You saved my childhood when I thought it was slipping away,
And for that, I am forever grateful.
I could never repay you for the life you gave me,
For the years I might have lost,
For the pieces of my heart you helped rebuild.
How can I repay a love like that?
It’s not something you can measure in time or words,
But I will carry it forever,
As you have carried me.
And when I say I love you,
Know that it’s not just the love of a sister.
It’s the love of a daughter
to a mother,
And a best friend.
You are everything,
And I will always be grateful for the way you loved me,
For the way you held me when I couldn’t stand,
And for the way you gave everything
And asked for nothing in return.
With all the love I have,
Now and always.