My beautiful girl,

You will never understand how much I adore you. Since I was a young girl playing with dolls and exploring the world around me, I have dreamed of the moment when we would first meet. I tried to imagine what you would look like; would you have my big brown eyes, or be blessed with eyes of blue; would you have your father’s darling smile; would you have golden curls or locks of chocolate brown? Of course, my first prayer was that you would be healthy. I prayed that God would bless you with a beautiful heart. I dreamed that you would have unrelenting courage. I whispered to the heavens up above to send me a daughter filled with joy and wonder. When you arrived, I knew that my prayers had been answered.

My darling, I am writing you this letter in the hopes that you will read it and you will know how much I love you. I love you with a love that is more than you will be able to comprehend. When I look at you, I want nothing more than to hold you in my arms for every moment of every day and simply be in your presence. You are the most wonderful treasure, and I promise to protect you all the days of my life.

It saddens me to say, but I will not always be able to protect you. There are lessons I will share with you, and perhaps you will choose to believe that you know better than “dear old mom.” There are trials that the evil of the world will force upon you, and you will feel weakened. There will be many, many moments of defeat, but, my love, there will be even more moments of triumph! Listen to my words. Hear what I have to say. You are my treasure and I will always protect you, but there are some tribulations that you must learn to protect yourself from.

First and foremost, understand that God is always with you. If you ever feel frightened or hurt or lost, just look to Him, and He will guide you. I’m sure that sometimes it can seem as though He is indifferent to your suffering, and it can be difficult to trust in that which you cannot see. I understand that, and so does He. All I ask is that you try. Say a prayer. Offer your suffering up to your Lord. Allow your worries to dissolve in the palms of His hands. He will always take care of you.

The next item I would like to stress is a saying that my grandmother and grandfather always shared with me: “You are no better than anybody else, and nobody else is better than you.” I hope that you always live your life with a heart of compassion. When you see someone lying on the street, instead of passing judgment on their decisions, contemplate the hardships that they must face every single day and the incredible strength they must have in order to endure. Be mindful, my darling, of the things that you say, do and think.

Always remember to recognize others as people with similar struggles, fears, heartache, passions and memories to those that you hold. On the other hand, continue to believe in the incredible person you are as the years continue. Do not allow others to make you feel inferior in any way, shape or form. In my life, I have permitted others to shape how I act, speak and think, and in doing so, I sacrificed a very unique and beautiful part of myself. With age, you will learn that the opinions of others should never dictate how you choose to live your life. I beg of you, live your life to fullest, with passion, exuberance and curiosity.

You are beautiful exactly the way that you are. You do not need to give it a second thought. With that said, a beautiful heart shines brighter than a face covered in makeup. Always spend time making sure that your soul is radiant before thinking about your face. A beautiful soul attracts wonderful friends and promotes joy.

Focus on your school work. It is not cute to pretend to be dumb in an effort to gain attention. It is cute to earn a full ride scholarship to any school in the country. It is cute to be knowledgeable about the world, have an opinion about current events and be confident and poised enough to articulate that opinion respectfully. That is what is cute.

Boys are absolutely not worth your tears. Wait for them to deserve you. They absolutely must work for the opportunity to be with you. Work means effort. Work means that they have gone above and beyond to prove themselves to you. And the truth is, some guys won’t. Some will try a little bit, but once they realize how difficult it may be, they will give up and move on. Let them move on. You deserve the man who is willing to work for you. He is the one who will make you smile. He is the one who will respect you and protect you. He is the one who will love you. Wait for him.

Last, but certainly not least, your father and I love you with all of our hearts. You are our glistening star in a dark evening sky. You are the most precious, wonderful part of our lives. And you may not believe it, but a time will come when we argue. There will be a time when you disagree with us or you are upset with us. There may even be moments when you hate us. As difficult as it is for me to believe, those times will come. When they do, all I ask is that you remember how much you are loved.

I ask that you think about the nights when you ran into my room scared from a dream, and I sung you back to sleep while lightly brushing my fingers down your hair. I ask that you remember the moments when we could not stop laughing over a joke that was not even funny. I ask that you remember that I am learning how to be a mom as I go along. There was no training. There was no degree. I am figuring this out too, so please, forgive me when I hurt you, as I am sure I will. And always remember that you mean the world to me, and there is nothing you could do to lose that love. You are my everything.

With all my heart,

Mom