Cynthia Bailey on Daughter Noelle Robinson Leaving for College: "It Kills Me to See Her Cry"

Sunday night's episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta had us all in tears as Cynthia Bailey dropped her only child, Noelle Robinson, off to begin her freshman year at Howard University in Washington, D.C. But that was nothing compared to the emotions Cynthia experienced while watching the touching moments back. 

Cynthia reflected on sending Noelle off to college in a post on Instagram Sunday, recalling how they both had a difficult time as the 18-year-old got ready to leave the nest. "My daughter @noellerobinson is my everything. My love for her is like no other. It kills me to see her cry about anything because she rarely cries," Cynthia shared. "However, I know I have to be strong, and let her find her own way. I did not think it would be this hard to let her go."

Luckily, Cynthia has a wonderful support system to help her and Noelle get through these challenging moments: Noelle's father, Leon Robinson, and Cynthia's boyfriend, Mike Hill. "So grateful to her dad @wwwjustleon for helping me parent [and] encourage her every step of the way," she wrote. "I am also very thankful to @itsmikehill for being there for ME throughout this journey." 

Still, seeing your only child grow up and start the next chapter of her life on her own never gets any easier. "I cried again watching it," Cynthia concluded the Instagram post. "I truly appreciate everyone's kind words and support."

As for what the future holds for Noelle, Cynthia previously shared that her daughter was interested in pursuing a career in dentistry. However, the RHOA mom also told The Daily Dish in early 2018 that Noelle still has a passion for modeling and acting as well. 

Check out some throwback photos of this dynamic mother-daughter duo, below.