and this happened

Dear Child,

Ever since you were little, I've tried to teach you one of life's very important lessons.

Work hard, stay focused, do your best and you will find success.

And I have to say, you've mastered the lesson well. In everything you do - you pay attention, you practice, you give it your all. And you have found success.

Now you must learn one of life's other important lessons.

Sometimes your best isn't good enough.

As much as it is deeply ingrained in the core of my motherly-soul, to always want to make things right for you, I can't make this one right.

And even if I could, you're at the age where you need to learn this lesson.

This won't be the last time you work your ass off for something (or desperately want something) and don't get it.

There will be a girl you will really love who won't love you back.

There will be a college you think is a perfect fit that you won't get into.

There will be your dream job that will go to someone else.

And even when you are grown, I will still want to fix these things for you. To make them right. But I can't.

Learning to accept disappointment, even crushing, unfair, inexplicable disappointment, is a part of life.

We all endure it.

And, not always, but every now and then, if you're lucky, something hopeful, something positive, even something that is a blessing, may be waiting on the other side of your despair.

A "Plan B" that ends up being better than "Plan A" ever could have been.

Since I can't fix them all, even though I'd like to, I wish you many happy Plan Bs.

Love, Mom