Dear (future) Daughter,

I hope you know how much you are completely and utterly loved; and if you ever don't, just know that God saved me in order to give you life because you were mean't to be here and loved in every way. I hope that you have the happiest childhood possible, I hope you have imaginary friends (don't be creepy about it), that you play and laugh more than you cry, when you scrape your knee I hope it is never too bad and that you get right back up, I hope that you take advantage of everything life offers you. I hope that I am able to give you the opportunities that I have had & more, but mostly that you succeed in all that you do. Never cease to put all of yourself in whatever you do, and don't let anyone try, for even a second, to say that you are not good enough. Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. Then once you find it, never let go. Be generous and thoughtful, always choose to give before taking; make it a conscious effort to give way more than you get.

Don't allow yourself to get caught up in a relationship that doesn't grow you, makes you cry, or gives you anything besides the love & respect that you deserve. Never allow someone to touch you without permission. When you find your first love, make it a remarkable one. Open yourself completely to them, your dreams and aspirations, what keeps you up at night, your favorite dumb-joke, lay for hours talking about nothing, and have fun with the journey. Nothing ever hurts the same way as losing your first love. Embrace the pain from that, because it will happen one day, and being able to say that you have loved and lost is much more freeing than never loving at all. While suffering from a broken heart, I hope you find yourself in that loss. Losing yourself is the easiest way to find yourself. I use the term "easy" in a very relative way, nothing in life is easy and life is rarely painless. It is just a matter of your perspective. Have faith, whether or not it is what I believe in, I hope you believe in something greater than us. I hope you believe in something or someone, an image of hope, and know that there is a higher being looking after you.

I hope you feel comfortable to turn to me regardless of the situation. I hope it is abundantly clear that I am always here with open arms for a hug, a voice for advice, and a shoulder to cry on. Never be afraid to speak up for what you believe in, and don't let yourself be talked over, as though your voice doesn't matter - it does. I will do everything in my power to be the mom that every young girl needs. I am a spitting-image (not physically) of my mother, and I know I will be just like her as a mom to you. I will smother you, just as I was and hated it so much, but it is coming from the best place. If I notice you are upset and don't want to talk about it, I will keep bothering you until you get so mad at me that you forget what was making you upset (or you end up just telling me so I finally leave).

I have been looking forward to having you since elementary school, dreaming of my future children and having a family. I could write 100 pages of what I would want for you. However I can't tell you everything I've learned through my personal experiences, because you need to experience these things on your own and learn about the world. I'll be here when the time comes and I'll be there through it all.