To the greatest love(s) of my life:
Your grandmother told me that it'd be just what I deserved to end up with a child half as stubborn as I am, but I'm secretly hoping this is the case. Stubbornness balanced with wisdom results in conviction, that was something she taught me — even if she didn't realize it at the time. I hope that you're able to use this letter to balance some of your stubbornness with a little bit of wisdom.
If everything goes according to plan, you won't be around until the 2020's — which seems weird to even think about right now — and the world you will come to know will be so different than mine. Dial-up internet and flip phones will be long gone, and you will likely enter the world with a cellphone in your hand. My generation was among the last to have to actually be introduced to technology, so if I sometimes nag you about being on your phone, know that I won't understand as well as I'll tell you I do. Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr — all of these things ebb and flow in popularity, but I beseech you to remember that what is posted on the Internet will stay on the Internet — much more so by the time you're using it, I imagine. Those bursts of passion you feel for that boy you love so much at 16 or that job you hate so much at 22 don't need to be plastered all over the internet for the whole world to see — at least not all the time.
Every remarkable thing that happens to you is not everyone else's business, and everything that happens to you will not be remarkable. Some days and some things will just be ordinary. It's up to you to make them extraordinary.
As you grow up, I will do my absolute best to teach you just how powerful your words are. Some say your actions speak louder than words, but I could argue that they hold about the same amount of weight. You can't take back your words no matter how hard you try, especially the ones that do the most damage. Whether you end up a writer like me, a firefighter, a lawyer, a construction worker, a veterinarian, a janitor, a mailman or the President of the United States, your words are your power. Use it wisely. A comic that will likely be "old" by the time you're born once preached: "with great power comes great responsibility."
The year in which I write this, 2016, is the year that will change everything. The presidential election has turned into the circus of the century. The Supreme Court is telling people which bathroom to use. Women are still being objectified and abused and raped, simply for the fact that they are women. Animal rights are being trampled upon, both ceaselessly and carelessly. Hate crimes and terrorism are running rampant. People of color are being shot and killed in civilian-police officer interactions. Men and women both are forced into categories with gender roles and stereotypes. Our society has manufactured, packaged and sold hatred, discrimination, bigotry, sexism, violence and oppression to the highest bidder. I fear that this much will not have changed much — if any at all — by the time that this letter reaches your eyes, butplease count yourself out of this auction. It is hard to feel like you're the only one doing the right thing, but I encourage you — I beg you to always try.
It honestly terrifies me to think about the world that I will be bringing you into, and I know that my actions are selfish. But I will bring you into this world with more love than my heart can hold, and enough hope to fill a mountain. In turn, I pray that bringing you into the world and raising you to be the very best you that you can possibly be will be one extra ounce of good in a world that isn't always so great. Even if the difference you make on the environment around you is small, it is still important. Always leave a space, a room or a person better than it was before you encountered it. Don't end any endeavor on a bad note when you can help it.
In a world full of lies and deceit, I encourage you to seek and proclaim your own truth. On your darkest of days, I encourage you to find your own light, from within, and shine it not just for you, but for all those around you. There will be days that test your courage and the strength of your heart, and you will not win every battle, but I hope that you never go down without a fight. But, most importantly, I hope you know that you are never fighting alone. I will always be in your corner — to back you up when you're right, and knock some sense into you when you're wrong.
I know that I sound so pessimistic and scared in this letter, but I have not yet given up on this world, and I hope that you don't either. There is so much good here. Add to this good, don't contribute to the bad. Last but not least: remember to always smile. Smile for you, smile for those around you, smile just because you can.
With hope,
Your loving mother
