My Dearest Little Love,

You are growing up before my eyes, and it fills me with wonder and joy, sadness, and fear. I marvel at what a beautiful and kind little person you are becoming! Your smile and your bubbly energy can lighten the mood of a room in an instant. But I am also afraid of what this world will do to you as you journey further into it and away from my protective arms. How does a mother let her daughter spread her wings in the world as it is today?

Sweet girl, you are so strong and brave. But this world is hard, and it can be filled with dark and scary things. I want you to remember these five things as you grow and start pulling farther from me. If you can remember these things, I know you will be okay.

Be kind and generous.

As you grow, you will see that many people in this world are not kind and that many more are selfish. I want you to be different, love. You have inherited your Daddy’s kind and generous heart, and I want you to embrace it! I want you to spread kindness like wildfire, just like your Daddy did his whole life. You are his legacy, and you should be proud to be so much like him.

Love deeply, and let yourself be loved.

One day you will decide that boys are kinda cool. You’ll begin to think about them and dream about marrying one someday. Dream away, baby! Here’s the thing, though: I want you to remember that love is worth it when it’s real, but love is not the same thing as affection, gifts, or other romantic movie stuff. Love is sacrifice and hard work. Love is being more concerned about the wellbeing of your other half than you are for your own. It also means sometimes having your heart broken, and that’s okay too. Broken hearts heal, and loving deeply and truly is worth it. I want you to fall in love and fall hard, but also let yourself—your true self—be loved deeply in return. Don’t hold back when you find your love, sweetheart. Love is always worth the risk.

Trust God, and trust your instincts.

I hope that I can instill in you a deep sense of faith. Our God is a loving and trustworthy God. He has a plan and a purpose for your life that is more beautiful than even I can imagine. Learn to talk to Him daily, put your faith in Him alone, and trust Him with all things. He will never fail you. And He will give you the instincts and discernment you need to make hard choices and face hard things in this life. You will never fall when you lean into Him.

You are worthy of all good things.

Never, ever, ever, ever settle for second best. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you are not worthy. You are smart, talented, kind, beautiful, and capable of doing anything you set your mind to. You should chase after the best of everything and expect that it can be yours because you are worth everything good.

Don’t be afraid to fight.

I hope I can be an example of a good fighter for you. I have fought all of my life for myself and others. And I want you to be that person too. If you see injustice or inequality or corruption, I want you to be brave and bold enough to fight against it. When you know that someone is doing wrong, please stand up, tell the world about it, and then do your best to fight against it. You may not win every battle because sometimes this world favors greed over good, but it doesn’t matter. Fight anyway. Be the light and the voice and the advocate for good in this world. Fighting for what is right is always the right choice.

Baby, you are the joy of my life, and I hope that I can teach you all of these things before you face the world on your own. I am so blessed to get to love you and be your mama. The world is better for having you in it, my love. Never forget that you are a treasure and a gift and that you have been called to be a light in this world.

I love you, my girl.

Love,

Your Mama