Losing a parent is never easy, especially as a teenager navigating the uncertainties of high school and the future. One mom with cancer foresaw this, and wrote a heartbreaking letter to her daughter to comfort her after she was gone.
18-year old Indiana resident Hannah Summers shared the last letter her mom, Peggy, had written to her on Twitter, reminding her followers to "please hug your parents a little closer and never take them for granted because you never know when you could lose them." Her message has been retweeted over 87,000 times and has over 280,000 likes as of writing.
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before my mom passed she wrote us all letters. this is mine. please hug your parents a little closer and never take them for granted because you never know when you could lose them. I love you momma. ? pic.twitter.com/e2TZtg92bK
— hannah summers (@_hannahsummers) November 1, 2017
The heartbreaking letter tells Hannah to keep working hard towards her dreams of becoming a nurse and reminds her of how much her mom loves her.
"You are going to do great in life and I will be smiling with you through all the important moments in your life... Enjoy life and live each day as if it is your last because none of us know if today will the be the last," the letter reads.
"It was so hard to read, but at the same time it brought me so much comfort," Summers told HUFFINGTON POST UK.
She called her mom her best friend in previous tweets, and used the hashtag #PeggyStrong throughout her mother's battle with stage four kidney cancer.
mom appreciation post because she's my best friend & I miss her being happy and healthy. I know God has a plan but sometimes it's so hard to understand what He has in store. #peggystrong ? pic.twitter.com/EnknGYigqr
— hannah summers (@_hannahsummers) October 5, 2017
Commenters were touched by the letter, leaving their condolences for Summers. Actress Patricia Arquette even replied to tell Summers how sorry she was for her loss, to which she replied that Medium had been her mom's favorite show.
thank you ? medium used to be mom's favorite show. She was a huge fan
— hannah summers (@_hannahsummers) November 3, 2017
Others shared their own stories of losing their moms in response to support Summers.
My mom passed also & she wrote me a letter exactly a year before just "in case." I treasure it daily. So sorry for your loss, stay strong ❤️
— Brooke Laughlin (@_BrookeLaughlin) November 2, 2017
The letter and Summers' tweets are an important reminder for all of us to never take our parents' or our own lives for granted. Give your mom a call or a hug once you've wiped the tears from reading the letter.
Refinery29 has reached out to Summers for comment, and will update this article when we receive a response.
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