I never had the chance to grow up with my mother, but I grew up knowing she loved me. Even though life took us down different paths, I always carried her in my heart. Her choice to place me for adoption was not a rejection—it was an act of love, the first gift she ever gave me. It was her way of giving me a chance at the life she wished she could give herself.

Losing her now, even from afar, feels heavier than I expected. There is a sadness for the moments we never shared, the conversations we never had, and the years that slipped by too quickly. But there is also gratitude—gratitude that she brought me into this world, gratitude for the strength it took for her to choose what she thought was best, and gratitude for the pieces of herself she passed on to me.

I know she struggled. I know she carried battles that were bigger than she ever deserved. I wish she had found more gentleness in this world, more support, more healing. I wish I could have told her that her life mattered, that her love mattered, that she was more than her hardships.

To Lorena: I hope you have finally found the peace that eluded you in life. I hope you know I do not hold anything against you— only understanding. Thank you for giving me a chance. Thank you for doing the best you could with the life you were given.
I will carry your memory with grace, with compassion, and with a heart big enough to hold both the love we shared and the distance we lived.

Rest now. I hope you found the light you were always reaching for.