Dear daughter,
Let me introduce myself.
Whether you call me your friend, your confidante
Or you call me a **** and crazy,
I am your mother,
Your Ma, your mom, your momma, your mommy,
Your Mother.
I will be your faithful guide, friend, companion.
I Will be your first teacher and your last.
Sometimes I will be in front of your saying “Nice try! But try again.”
Or I may be beside you unsure of the same answer as you.
But sometimes I will follow behind you, learning from you along the way.
Remember the good times
And the bad, and be scared of your feelings
Because fear is an emotion too.
When you become lost, never let the wonders leave your eyes,
Even though you may wander.
But in your wandering, your small hands could touch nations,
If only you would let them.
Just believe the world has magic in it,
Because the moments of small silence give way
To their own kind of bewitchment.
Sing loud and proud like no one is watching…
And if you can’t, Happy Birthday works just as well.
Look for the glow worms, my child,
The baby fireflies,
Because they are a rare creature indeed
And can only be seen at the darkest of times,
Just like the stars.
Let your eyes be like fireflies and your steps like a prance
Because nothing attracts men like a bright girl who can dance.
So move your way closer to me
Because there is a pigtailed shaped hole in my heart
For the little girl that you will always be to me.
Live as many lives as possible and explore several worlds,
But always follow the banana bread crumbs back home by nightfall
Because nothing good ever happens after eleven…
Unless you are making a wish.
And if you are, load every 11:11 wish with a prayer
And aim it towards the sky.
Send a letter to the stars to make room for one more
Because someday you will shine,
But on your way to the top,
Tread lightly, my child,
And don’t wake the beasts
Because they exist
Trust me, I know.
Even when you are grown and have daughters of your own
Think back to me and remember.
Love,
Your Mother

Dear daughter,
I love you
Let me start with that.
I am proud of the person you are and I promise I will always be here for you.

I want to remind you of some things that I've needed to be reminded of over the years.
1. You are beautiful in more ways than one. You have beautiful eyes that shine when you talk about something you love. Your smile is beautiful, the way it automatically brings light to the room. You are beautiful for the scar you will inevitably have on your knee (you're my daughter after all) because it shows you have fallen down but were strong enough to get back up. You are beautiful for your thoughts and ambitions: for your hopes and dreams.
2. Never ever compromise your intelligence. There is nothing wrong with liking to read or being good at biology. And if someone can't accept you for your knowledge, they do not deserve to know you.
3. You are not defined by test scores. Tests don't measure things that are really important. They can't see your compassion or kindness or courage. You are so much more than a number or an acceptance letter. Never forget that.
4. Never base your self worth on a number on a scale. "Fat" is not the worst thing a person can be. "Fat" is not worse than vain or cruel or arrogant. I would much rather you define yourself as intelligent and clever and brave and a thousand other things before your physical appearance comes to mind.
5. Read Harry Potter.
6. You will never have to do anything to make me happy. Now, I'll probably make you play basketball when you're little, but if you hate it, you can quit. You don't need to play sports or be good at music for me to love you.
7. I know how crippling it feels to be left behind and if someone doesn't fight to be close with you, they do not deserve you. Trust me, I know it hurts. I'm sitting here writing this to you as an 18 year-old freshman in college who feels as though the world is going to fall apart. As challenging as a time may be, I whole-heartedly believe that things will work out for the best in the end. Never lose hope.
8. There is no secret that you need to keep from me. I will always be proud to call you my daughter.
9. There will be times when it feels as though the world will come crashing down beside you. Trust me it does get better and in those nights when you can't fall asleep because you are so worried about how things may turn out, I will hold you and wipe your tears.
10. Someday, you will find someone who makes your heart skip a beat and tells you they love you more than anything else in the whole world. They will never be able to love you as much as I do.

I love you so much. There is nothing you can do to make me love you any less.

Love,

Mommy