Dear Future Daughter,
I am not sure what your name will be, or when you will even be in the world, but I am excited to meet you and raise you into a strong-willed human being. There are so many things that I want to be able to teach you, and so many things that I will want you to know. When you are old enough, I will give you this letter; please, open it and cherish it.
First of all, keep your head up high. Growing up my dear child, there will be rocky roads. Life is going to be hard, but you have to keep pushing through. You are going to go through a rollercoaster in life, and sometimes you will be happy and other times you will be upset with the world. Even though it may be difficult to believe, everything will get better; time is the biggest healer.
In the world, not everybody is going to be the way you want them to be, or say the things you want to hear. As your mother, I, thought everybody in the world was going to be warm like My Mom and Dad. The truth is, in life, we do not have the magic ingredients to make people the way we want them to be. While you grow up, you are going to encounter many different situations where people will not act in the way you would act. However, look at it this way. We are lucky to live in a world full of diversity where every human being is distinct from each other physically, spiritually, and emotionally. You will learn to accept everybody for who they are, and, they will also accept you.
I am still learning and trying to fit into this world where you are bombarded with situations that are beyond your control. But, listen to this. Life will never give you more than you can handle. You will be thrown curveballs — life just threw me a whole bunch of them in a row which I didn’t think I could handle. But, I am slowly learning to handle them. One thing you need to know is that everybody handles struggles differently. Some cry (like me), some live in denial, some don’t speak about their struggles, some are strong minded and get through it easily. I am not sure how you will handle these situations, but I need to make sure that you keep yourself together when you do.
I am supposed to be the protector but sometimes the protector is not the pillar of strength that it is supposed to be. I am going to try my best to shield you from pain and feeling hurt. But, growing up, no matter how much I try to protect you, you will still have good days and bad days. My advice to you is that you make the best out of every situation that you are put in. Snap that smile onto your face. According to something called psychology, a smile activates the parts in your brain that make you happy — even when you are feeling sadness.
In life, one of your biggest potential gifts is to make some mistakes. I think I could speak on behalf of most people that some mistakes turn into the biggest learning experiences. Sometimes you will make simple mistakes — for example, you will get a question wrong on a math test and never make that mistake again. Other mistakes will be more complicated and could have consequences for yourself and others. If you do make one of these mistakes, please learn from it and don’t make it again. You are bound to make those mistakes, but the way you react after helps shape the person you are as well as the person you will become.
Some people in the world are born hurtful. They try to hurt others in order to feel better. Stand up for yourself and while this is easier said than done, don’t let them get to you. A lot of times a person acts this way is because they are going through something whether at home, in their mind, or in life. Just remember that they are acting this way for a reason, so be the bigger person. It works both ways though. When you do something wrong, please apologize to the person you upset. This all will make you a stronger person.
As you are going to grow up, you are going to realize boys are no longer icky and they definitely don’t have cooties. You will find a boy, like him a lot and he will like you, and then he will break your heart. This will happen at some point in your life, and I will be right there for you. When he breaks your heart, you get a pit in your stomach: a horrible feeling like you don’t want to exist anymore. You will feel every emotion in the world. The thought of being without this special person is so hurtful to the point I can’t describe it in words. While it didn’t work out with this one, it will certainly work out with the one in the future. As they say in the fairy tales, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your Prince Charming. Do me a favor though. Please respect yourself. Do not do anything you would not feel comfortable doing. In this situation or any other situations you have a mouth, and I expect you to use it. Say no. Say what is on your mind. Don’t be afraid to share your opinion. Those who do are the ones who enlighten positive changes throughout their life.
You only get one body so cherish it and love it. Don’t hurt it. Eat good foods, respect yourself, exercise, smile! You only get one mind so embrace it and work it! Don’t change your ideologies to conform to your friends opinion. Don’t do something you don’t want to do because your friends do it. Use it to learn new things and expand your horizons. Don’t feel like you ever have to dumb yourself down. Participate in the world! You only get one smile so use it and make it shine! A smile is beautiful, and something that the world wants to see. I will try to do anything to make you smile.
Never forget how much I love you and how proud I am of you. I am still figuring out what I will do in the world. Make sure what you choose is something you love to do. Make sure you are passionate about it! Whatever you do, I know you will be amazing, and I will be your cheerleader. Set goals for yourself and reach them! I will do anything in my power to help you to be successful.
I love you. Even when we argue or have a bad day, don’t you ever forget that you’re my daughter.
Lots of love,
Your Mommy
