to my daughter

Baby Girl,

There are very few things that I wish I could "plan" for you my child. That I wish I could guarantee for you.

I wish I could guarantee that you would never have to fight sickness. That you would always be healthy. I wish I could guarantee that no one would hurt you. No broken hearts for sure.

I wish I could guarantee that you would be successful in everything that you want to do. I wish I could guarantee you wealth and the ability not to have to worry about money or how to make ends meet.

I wish all that and more but I also know that I can guarantee you none of those. In fact, I can just about guarantee that you will suffer a broken heart at some point and that you will find that you're not good at everything you'll try.

What I do wish for you my sweet girl is that you will always fight for what makes you happy. That you'll figure that out early and that you'll go after it with everything you have.

I hope that you realize that you have dreams and that you'll do everything you can to make those dreams a reality. I hope you keep your quick wit for all of your days because a person that can make others laugh will always be surrounded by people. They will always bring people joy.

I hope that you are always surrounded by love. Whether it be from family or from friends that you choose as family. May you never feel like you have to divide your love between people. May you always feel like those around you love you for you.

I hope that you find a deep love one day. One that story books will pale in comparison too. That he'll make you laugh and tell you daily how special, how beautiful, and just how much he loves you. I pray that he comes soon and that you don't stumble upon too many frogs before meeting your Prince. I wish I could guarantee that he'll make tons of money and you'll never have to worry about bills and stuff, but if you fall in love with a poor man, that will be okay too. As long as he is smart and puts God first, your finances will figure themselves out.

I hope that you always guard your heart and mind and keep your focus on God's plan for your life. I hope that you're filled with a strength that I never had to stand up for what is right and for what you believe in. To be strong enough to go against the masses when need be and to be confident that you're doing the right thing.

You are so young right now sweetie but the ground work is being laid daily for the woman you will become. And I can't help but notice that already, you are showing the signs of a confident, sweet, smart young lady. I could not be more proud if I tried.

You are full of compassion already at such a young age and I pray that you stay that way. That you are a person who will build others up and not tear them down. That you'll see others as your equal and not spend time belittling and berating other people.

I pray that you'll treat others as you wish to be treated. That you'll encourage and build up your friends and in turn, that you'll have friendships that last for decades because those people can't imagine life without you in it.

You're growing up in a scary age sweetheart. Where people grow more selfish by the second. More evil by the day. You will be in the minority every day if you are constantly loving and kind to others, but it's a minority worth being in. You've already got a smile that can move mountains girl. You can do such great things.

You won't be good at everything but you will be good at a lot. I pray that you won't be a quitter though and that you'll give everything your best shot. Then stick with what you love ;)

I wish I could guarantee that life will be easy hon, but it won't. It will, at times, be harder than you can even imagine. There will be disappointments and heartbreak and sickness. You will lose loved ones. But, you'll also gain amazing friends and other loved ones. You'll laugh; a lot. You'll play hard and work hard and you'll find that it all tends to be worth it.

I love you so much Baby Girl. So does your Dad, and so does God. And we're the three you need backing you up the most, which we'll always do. So do life girl. We've got your back.

Love,
Mama