We haven’t met yet, but one day, I’ll get to hold you and I’ll be lucky enough to call you my daughter. Before we start this journey together, I want you to know a few things about life. It’s not always going to be easy, but I’m going to be there to protect you as best as I can from all the things that try to hurt you along the way. These are my hopes for you:
- You’ll laugh after every tear you shed.From the moment you come into this world, you will cry. You’ll cry for no reason and sometimes you’ll cry for every reason in the world, but once those times have passed, you’ll laugh and smile again brighter than you ever did before. Your tears will be cleansing, and every time you overcome any type of pain, you’ll feel reborn again.
- Not everyone will love you like I do.I’ll be the very first best friend you’ll have, and while you might expect everyone to treat you the same way, not everyone will. You’re going to encounter mean people in this life who will try to bring you down, but as my daughter, you’ll know that those people won’t matter in the long run. You’re never going to please everyone.
- You’re stronger than you know.There’ll be days when you feel like giving up and days where you feel like crying at the very idea of getting out of bed and facing the day ahead. I’m going to tell you the truth: life sucks sometimes, but I promise it always gets better and that you’re strong enough to brave any storm headed your way. I’ll be by your side to fight them off with you.
- Walk away from anything that doesn’t serve you happiness.When someone doesn’t treat you with the value you so deserve, or if something doesn’t bring you true joy, you’ll keep your head high and walk away from it with the knowledge that not only do you deserve better, but that something better is waiting for you.
- You’ll achieve so long as you never give up.You’ll make mistakes and you’ll fail a lot, but the more you try and the harder you work at things, learning lessons along the way, the closer you’ll get to every goal and dream you wish to achieve. Your potential is infinite and you’ll find success and rewards only through perseverance and refusing to ever give up. The world I welcomed you into is yours for the taking.
- You’re going to have your heart broken a few times, and that’s a good thing.The truth is I’m going to wipe the tears from your eyes when a handful of boys break your heart and throw away the love you gave to them. It’s going to break my heart to see it, and you’ll feel like giving up, but I promise that having your heart broken by all the wrong boys will be the best thing for you in the long run. The right one will make you feel happier than you can even imagine, and you’ll appreciate him more for have being hurt a few times.
- Never apologize for being yourself.People are going to try to shame you for having certain opinions or for having your own interests. Some won’t agree with the way you dress, the color of your hair, or might even make digs at you for the color of your skin. But you’ll know better. You’ll know that it’s better to be unapologetically yourself than to try to be someone that everyone likes, because in conforming yourself to pleasure someone else’s preferences, you’ll only lose yourself, and you don’t have time for that crap.
- Accept the differences, because it’s what makes life more beautiful. You’re going to cross paths with so many people that are so vastly different than you are. You’ll meet people who come from entirely different cultures, beliefs, wealth class and morals. Try not to live life by comparison and instead focus on the beauty of the differences in the world. Uniqueness is what keeps life interesting and what keeps us learning.
- Love yourself before anyone else.You are and will always be the most important person in your life, so never neglect or deny yourself the right to feel completely satisfied with what you see in the mirror and who you spend every waking moment of your life with; yourself. Because as much as I wish I could, I won’t be able to stay with you forever.
