Letter to my daughter

I’m replaying some old posts while I take some time to relax with my family.  This one originally ran 1/26/11.

My sweet girl,

You are innocence.  Imagination.  Authenticity.  You are my best self.  Pure.  Unedited.

I watch you in an ordinary moment – you are sorting buttons, utterly absorbed in their textures and colors as you count them and rearrange them.  Your wispy hair reflects golden sunshine streaming from the window behind you.  Your eyes are focused and intent.  You are absolutely beautiful, so much so that I could cry.

I can’t imagine anything you could ever do that would cause me to ever love you less than I do now.  You have my heart always.  I believe in you.  I’m excited to see who you are at 5, at 20, at ages I haven’t even reached yet; as a student, as a wife, as a mother; as you grow and find your voice, trust in yourself, overcome obstacles, and cultivate hopefulness in yourself and those around you.

You are vulnerable to the future, as we all are, to all those you haven’t yet met, to all the stories you haven’t yet heard that will shape you, to the places yet unseen.  I hold that vulnerability as a well within myself for you, since you do not yet know it’s there .  And there will be joy, immeasurable I hope.  I wish I could hold you in this moment forever, yet it is already gone.

I hope we are teaching you compassion, a sense of connection to others, courage.  I hope you feel that you belong, that you are surrounded by love.

Love,  Mommy