When 16 year-old Macy Mathis gave her mother, Cindy, a collection of hand written letters for her birthday, the teenager could never have imagined how important those letters would become.
The 25 letters each had a different theme and were placed into sealed envelopes with instructions such as "open when you need to smile," "open when it's your birthday," and "open when you're excited about something."
Tragically, the teen was killed in a car accident along with her boyfriend 18-year-old Adam Sattler. They were only a mile away from Macy's home.
Now the letter that means the most to Macy's heartbroken mum is the one titled "open when you miss me."
"I'm sorry that you're missing me. I hope that wherever you are or whatever you're doing you're okay. I'm probably missing you too," the teenager wrote.
She signs off: "I will always and forever love you Mommy. Thank you for everything you've done for me."
Speaking to TODAY parents Cindy said that she'd had a very close relationship to her daughter and that she was like another mum to her younger brothers. One mother's day, Macy organised for the younger kids to write down all the reasons they loved their mum.
Cindy said that the gift of 25 letters was a complete surprise. Now, that Macy has gone, her devastated mum says that her daughter's letters have given her some peace. "They give me a little bit of closure to know how much she knew I loved her. They keep her alive."
One of the other letters that stands out for Cindy is one that's titled "when you feel lonely."
"Please don't feel lonely, Mommy. You always have me," Macy wrote.
"I did feel lonely when she left me," recalls Cindy. "We'd talk about her moving to New York with Adam or living the good life, moving away and leaving, but not like this.
"I feel like she knew. Maybe deep down, she knew, or maybe God told her."
Stories about Macy's letters have travelled around the world and inspired countless other teens. Cindy says she has received lots of messages asking her if it's ok to use Macy's idea and write letters to their own parents.
"I tell them, 'Please, I am begging you, do this for your parents too. When they are grown up and gone, their parents will want to know how they feel," said Cindy.
"I would not take back Macy's letters for anything in the world."