Advice for My Daughter

Category: Life

  • A Letter To My Daughter As An Old Woman

    A Letter To My Daughter As An Old Woman

    I had a thought yesterday that made me very sad.

    I’ll never know you as an old woman.

    My job as a mother is not to teach you to be an amazing kid, but to teach you to be an extraordinary adult. I want to guide you so that when you are an old woman, you will look back on your life and feel that it was well lived.

    These are the things I wish for you when you become an old woman:

    When your hair turns silver and your skin turns a bit sallow, I hope that your eyes shine as brightly as they do today.(tweet this)

    I hope your happy memories outweigh your worries.

    I hope you dance…even if it’s slowly.

    I hope the world is good and that kind people surround you.

    I hope you have a companion, be it a partner, a child or a friend.

    I hope the mistakes you’ve made in life have been long forgotten and the bright spots sparkle.

    I hope you found a unicorn.

    I hope you celebrated every birthday with those that you love.

    I hope you travelled and laughed and sang at the top of your lungs.

    I hope you did work that you loved, that you helped people and that you prayed daily.

    I hope you aren’t in too much pain.

    I hope you let your kids stay up late so that you could snuggle under the covers and tell each other secrets. I hope you have grandchildren and that they talk…constantly.

    As the years pass, my greatest wish is that I taught you well. That you were able to fight when you needed to and give in when you wanted to. That you helped others and were kind to yourself.

    I hope you shine.

    I know you’ll shine.

    And I hope. I really, really hope….that I taught you well.

     

    Like this? Click here to purchase one to hang in your home.

    A Letter Top Image

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Image by Tim Hamilton

  • Why I Cry On the Last Day of School

    Why I Cry On the Last Day of School

    You just had your last day of school. I didn’t mean to do it, but I cried.

    I watched you stand up in front of the parents and perform and I was proud, but I didn’t cry.

    I watched you read about what you want to be when you grow up, but I didn’t cry.

    I gave you a hug when you were done and told you how proud I am, and I still didn’t cry.

    Then I went to thank your teacher. And I lost it.

    I thanked her for teaching you so much. I thanked her for her patience. I thanked her for being an extension of our home. I thanked her for seeing the light that shines so brightly in you.

    And I cried.

    Education is such a gift. I remember the first time I heard you read…actually read. I swear I felt the earth move right below me.

    Reading changes everything.

    Once you can read, the entire world rolls up to you like a red carpet. You can learn and travel and discover anything you want to.

    Not everyone is blessed with the gift of education. We’ve talked about Malala and the fight that she is fighting so that girls can be educated.

    These are the thoughts that went through my head as I walked up to your teacher one last time and said…

    “Thank you.”

    Two words.

    They aren’t big enough to show my gratitude.

    They aren’t big enough for all that she does.

    They just aren’t big enough for the person who spends her day giving my child a better future.

    So, yes. I cried on the last day of school and I probably always will. As long as there is a teacher standing in the corner fanning the flames that make my daughter’s dreams shine a little brighter….I will cry.

     

    Image by Elizabeth Albert

  • Yes. I noticed

    Yes. I noticed

    I noticed how your eyes lit up when you saw that your stocking had been filled.

    I noticed the excitement when you saw that two of the cookies were gone and your confusion that one was still left.

    I noticed that you loved your Smarties just as much as your ride on vehicle.

    I noticed that you wished there were more gifts for me.

    I noticed that you were completely in the moment.

    I noticed that you hugged your fairies tightly because you loved them so much.

    I noticed that everything you received, you wanted to share with me.

    I noticed that you said thank you.

    I noticed that you placed the dog’s presents right next to his nose.

    And most of all, I noticed that you were the most beautiful gift in the room.

    Yes. I noticed.

    Photo by Andrew Te on Unsplash

  • Make Music a Part of Every Day

    Make Music a Part of Every Day

    As you go through life, you will experience so much. I wish that your life could be filled with only happy moments, but I know that this won’t be the case. In my life, I have used music to change my emotional state or to help me dig deeper into it.

    Listen to music that makes you dance. Listen to music that makes you cry. You will learn one day that some music is great to drive to. Music can be such a sweet friend when nobody else quite understands you. It can help you to scream louder when you are angry and cry harder when you are sad.

    You will find that music is one of the best and most loyal friends you will ever have. It doesn’t judge you or abandon you. And it doesn’t mind being used.

    Blast it in your car, but please don’t blast it through headphones. I want you to enjoy music forever.