Sometimes we just have to let go.....

Just not that long ago (really, it was like yesterday), someone told me....

"If you are blessed with little ones, with the blink of an eye, they are growing up way too fast, and before you know it, their little play phones are replaced with real cell phones, their fisher price keys are soon real keys to the car and those little footsteps you used to hear when they got hungry late at night soon become big footsteps just heading out for the night at 11 pm..... "

and now, I really "get it". If I have a time machine right this minute, I would trade all the beautiful things I have in a heartbeat to enjoy a few hours again with my kids when they were little, cherish every smile, tear, frown, tantrum and especially those priceless hugs!

Today, I can't believe it come so soon, my little baby is finally leaving my nest, on to another phrase of her life - college, even though she just turn 17 three months ago, she is still very young, still my little baby. 

10 years ago, I held her little hand, landed in this city, although I was scared and fearful, but I know I could not fail because my girls are depending on me, so I bite my lips and carried on, tried to make the best out of the worst situation, and we all survived. Today, all alone by herself, she is back to the city she once familiar with, in fact, this is the city she spent most of the life in, the city that she loves so much.... NYC, we are back!!!!!

outside our first apartment in NYC, she was just teeny weeny

our first snow sled at Central Park

You and Me against the world.......

(Lincoln Center)

I wish I could hold her little hands forever....

she was very quiet since young, but so very smart too, it didn't surprise me that her SAT score was among the top 4.5 percent in the nation and earned herself a 4 years full scholarship to a high ranking university in New York City

and she is not just intelligent, she is also very athletic 

She was once champion on beam at New York State Meet

I love watching her tumbling on floor, swinging on bars, and balancing on beam

since very young, she just has a mind of her own, with her strong personality, come strong will, a girl who once do not want to miss a day of training at the gym, decided to give up and never look back since then, no one, not anyone from mommy to trainer, to head coach, to friends can change her little mind. And being her, she made up her mind to move back to New York City, no other school in the West Coast would attract her, she made up her mind, NYC is where she wants to be.

my heart is aching right now... sop sop....

but sometimes

we 

just 

have

to

let 

go