Dear Future Daughter,

As you grow up, I promise to never praise you for your outward appearance. I promise to never define who you are by the measurement of your hips or the straightness of your teeth. I promise to never glorify the clothes you choose to wear or how tight they fit you.

I promise to never teach you to seek approval from others, especially when it comes to the way you choose to wear your hair or how light or dark your skin is. Because the awful truth is, the world will do enough of that for me.

The world will claim that beauty is pain and that pain is necessary if you are to succeed. The world will insist that if you want to be liked, you have to look like everyone else and be who they are. The world will dictate what “beautiful” should be, defining it by numbers on a scale or inches on a tape. The world will try and chain you to a shopping cart and convince you that products or clothing is the key to making yourself more appealing. The world is a row of men cat-calling you from dusty alley ways, calling you “baby” and complementing you on your “nice rack,” because to him that’s all you are.

But, my sweet girl, I beg you to know your worth. Look past the façade that society will continually attempt to blind you with, and know with your whole heart who you are. Always remember that you aren’t merely beautiful… you’re beautifully brilliant and bright. You’re beautifully kind and strong. You’re beautifully talented and determined. You’re beautifully you. You aren’t and will never be victim to the random selection of chromosomes that determine your outward appearance.

You were fearfully and wonderfully made. When you look in the mirror I want you to see past your complexion and stop analyzing your flaws. When you look in that mirror, I want you to see who you are, past the superficial views of society, because at the end of the day that person is the most beautiful that you can be.

I, and so many others, will love and appreciate you not for your outward appearance but for who you are on the inside and the joy you will bring into our lives. And I hope that you can learn to love yourself for the beauty you hold inside yourself, too.

So my radiant daughter-to-be, I refuse to praise you for your beauty, because I know that that mere six letter word will never, ever, define all that you will be.

Love always,

Your Already Proud Momma