Daughter Goes to Mom's Grave with Her Unread Letter, Nervously Opens It after 20 Minutes

When a daughter opened a potentially life-changing letter, she wanted to do it with the woman who raised her. She decided to visit her mother's grave for the tear-jerking moment.

Losing a parent is never easy, and their absence is felt deeply during the significant milestones in life. One teenager was heartbroken her mom was not around to see her grow up.

Along with her father, Skylar Hughes visited her mom's gravesite in Georgia to open an important letter. The experience left both of them emotional and touched hearts worldwide.

LOSING HER MOTHER WAS NOT EASY

When James Hughes and his daughter Skylar lost the woman they loved, their world came to a standstill. They missed her every day and longed to have her back in their lives.

Rasheda Hughes had a brain aneurysm in 2015, and she passed away the following year after spending many months in a coma. Skylar had just finished seventh grade, and she felt the pain intensely.

HER MOTHER WORKED HARD TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY

Before her passing, Rasheda held a full-time job in finance to support her family. As Skylar grew older, she understood her mom's sacrifices and worked hard in school to make her parents proud.

She wanted to show people that it is possible to reach for big dreams regardless of their circumstances. The teenager said:

"After my mom passed, it would have just been so easy for me to be like, ‘That’s it.’ I could have very easily have just done the bare minimum for the rest of my childhood and no one would have questioned it."

Skylar persevered and excelled in life and school. She thanked her father, grandmother, and aunts for flaming the fire within her.

SHE RECEIVED BIG NEWS ABOUT HER FUTURE

Toward the end of her high school career, it was time for Skylar to think about her future. She was an academic and had an impressive list of accolades by 17.

She had completed an internship, logged long hours of community service, worked two jobs, and managed an advanced school load. She had impressive goals and did everything possible to attain them.

Skylar received an email letter containing news about one of her biggest dreams, and she didn't want to open it without her mom. While Rasheda could not be there physically, the daughter wanted to feel close to her mom.

THE SPECIAL GRAVESIDE MOMENT

In 2021, Skylar and her father visited Rasheda's gravesite. They spent some time there and recorded the special moment when they opened the all-important letter.

Skylar opened her laptop and tried to access the news. James noted: "I remember trying to get her to click the button." However, when the nervous daughter finally clicked the keypad after 20 minutes, the system logged her out.

Skylar logged in again, and the moment she had been waiting for finally arrived. She shared:

"I knew that since my mother had missed a lot of things with me in my childhood, growing up, and since this was mobile, I could take my computer to open the email anywhere, I knew I wanted to do it with her."

THEY OPENED THE LETTER TOGETHER

Skylar told viewers that she was at her mother's grave checking her status update from Duke University, her top choice college. She was jittery as she expressed, "I'm freaking out, 7% acceptance rate, let's just think about that."

After a few seconds, she screamed and exclaimed: "Daddy, I got in! I got in! I got in!" The teenager was emotional and revealed her dad also shed some tears.

Sharing the moment with her mom made it extra special, and both Skylar and James felt Rasheda's presence. The daughter added:

"I thought whether I get accepted or denied, I wanted to share this moment with her because I knew it would be filled with emotion. I knew I’d find peace there and I knew she’d be proud of me regardless."

SHE WAS PROUD OF HERSELF

Skylar saw the blue streamers on her laptop screen, and it felt like a dream had finally come true. She was accepted to Duke University's Class of 2025.

The journey to reaching her goal was not easy, and she was thrilled her sacrifices and hard work paid off. It was the first time that the teen felt happy and proud of herself in a long time.

RAISING MONEY FOR HER STUDIES

The youngster was eager to raise the needed money to cover her university expenses. Even with financial aid, tuition was expensive, but thankfully, a GoFundMe page had raised close to $50,000 for Skylar.

Her father told her to focus on keeping up her good grades because he would worry about the rest. She also applied for more than 50 scholarships and believed she would obtain her needed assistance.

THE PURPOSE BEHIND HER MISSION

Skylar's dream of studying at Duke University was something she had wanted for years. She was driven by the prestigious institution's excellent marine science program.

The teen hoped to graduate as a researcher in the marine biology field with the plan of finding a cure for various conditions. Skylar would be doubly thrilled if she could contribute to the treatment for brain aneurysms—in honor of her mom.

NO DREAM IS TOO BIG

One of Skylar's teachers revealed she was encouraged by the youngster's determination. Arianne Belzer shared that Skylar always found a way to overcome challenges and knew she would succeed in whatever she put her mind to.

The beautiful teen's story encourages us and proves that no dream is too big to achieve, even amid painful and difficult circumstances.

Click here for another tear-jerking story about a mother and daughter's special bond. When the parent passed away, she found a way to comfort her grieving child by writing letters.