From the day you were born, the only one thing I’ve wanted for you in this wild and crazy life is for you to be happy. I want you to find love and give love. I have prayed every night that if nothing else, you are filled with joy.
I don’t pray for good looks, or a high intelligence. I don’t care if you are sporty or a vegetarian. Your hobbies and personality can be opposite of mine, but I want you to be joyful. Always look at the positive and find the rainbow after the storm. Keep your glass forever half full. Look people in the eye when you talk to them and smile. Always smile. Find humor in life. Laugh at yourself and situations you find yourself in. Surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Laughing makes you beautiful.
Trust people and be humble. Work hard and give back to the people who help you along the way. Forgive and ask for forgiveness when you are wrong. You will fail, numerous times, and that’s ok. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from your friends mistakes and learn from my own mistakes, we are all here to support you. Put yourself in other’s shoes and give people the benefit of the doubt.
Life is an exciting adventure, don’t miss out by sitting on the sideline.
Get involved. Don’t just give money to charities, volunteer. Find that one thing that excites you, that brings you to life, and do more of that. Savor life. Be content with what you have and celebrate the path God has you on.
Love yourself first. Make time for you. Have respect for yourself and fall in love with someone who shares that respect. Don’t worry about your appearance, worry about what’s on the inside. Hate is an ugly word, get rid of it from your vocabulary.
Pray. Trust God, even in your darkest moments. Celebrate with him in your best moments. Put him first, even before me and your dad. It might take you a few years to understand your faith, but never stop searching and learning. Find a mentor to talk to, or come to us – but know that you are forever loved and forgiven. He will always be on your team.
Be an honest person. Give grace. No one is perfect, and trying to be perfect will leave you disappointed. If you find yourself complaining about a situation, do something to change it. You are responsible for your reactions and happiness.
Find a man like your father. Look for a true gentlemen who opens doors for you, and kisses you on the forehead before you go to bed. Make sure he loves you with every part of his being. There is someone out there for you who is meant to be your other half, be patient. Trust our opinion, if we don’t like a guy you bring home, there is probably a good reason. Your dad is a great judge of character.
Travel. As much as possible. Go to every new culture, and in every direction. It’s a big world out there and the best education is through meeting new people and discovering cultures that are different from yours. Keep your mind open and tackle new things often. Take risks. Take wrong turns. Forget your map. Miss your train. The most chaotic memories are sometimes your best. Build stories now that you can tell when you are older.
Finally, you belong to me. there is nothing you can do or say that will make me love you less. You are mine, and I am yours. I will forever be your mom, and your place when you want to come home. Find comfort and confidence in the fact that you will always belong to me, and I to you.
Leave a Reply