I don’t consider myself the motherly type. It’s not that I don’t want kids, it’s just that I don’t want kids. If one day I have kids (and God help me if they find this article), I want it to be noted that I will love them with my entire being and won’t regret having them. It’s just that… I’m not the mom type.

And I say this because I saw a little girl the other day walking through Times Square. I saw her wearing a beautiful white dress and watched as she walked through the streets holding her mother’s hand and walking twice as fast as the adults around her so that she could keep up. She wore a bright smile on her face and held hope in her eyes. I don’t mean to be dramatic, but she was everything our world needs right about now.

I’m not one that often reads that much into random moments like this, but I guess my mind was open to do some thinking. I realized that I was that little girl once and that I have let this world turn me jaded. At some point, I was the eight year old staying close to my mother as she tugged me through an unfamiliar city. That point was really only about 10 years ago as well, but now it seems to be a lifetime away.

I couldn’t help but look at this little girl and just get so sad because she’s coming into the same world I’m living. I wish it could be better for her; I really do.

So, to the little girl that the world will not be kind to--

Let me start by saying, you will need to be the change and I am sorry that it has to be you. I was told the same thing and you will need to tell our next generation of sisters as well. Every generation we must reiterate to those younger than us that it is them who must make it a responsibility to change our future.

Unfortunately, that change most likely will not be drastic. That’s what I wish someone would have told me. You will fight for what is right, but that does not mean you will reach your ideal outcome. Every generation must be the change in a big way so that it will create a small deviation from our norm.

You will be the change in women’s pay. You must fight for that equal pay, but that does not guarantee you will see a shattered glass ceiling, despite how much I so honestly wish you will. Nevertheless, fight for it. You must be the change in women’s friendship. You won’t change the heart of every woman, nor will female journalists stop tearing down fellow women for profit. However, you must not tolerate slut-shaming or victim-blaming. You will make friends with women who will raise you higher. You will be the change in sexual assault. The stats may not deviate as much as we wish them, but you will educate others and you will be educated so that you can help wherever possible.

And I know this seems like a big responsibility when we all know there is little pay off, but I did the same. I never believed every strong woman who stood before me and declared: “You will be the change.” But now I turn to you to say “you will be the change”. And it is not because I could not be. I’m not passing a button of responsibility, but instead preparing you for the reality of the world. It's because I, and so many of my generation, were the change. One day, though, it will be up to you. I’m sorry that this day will come sooner than either of us want. You will be the change because it is among one of the greatest burdens of being a woman, no matter how rewarding.

You don’t get to choose whether you want to stay out of the fight for equality and I’m sorry for that. Everything you do will be scrutinized harder than a man and so to survive, you will learn to work twice as hard. You became a part of this fight before you even knew what it was.

The world will make you callous, but do not let it make you cruel.

You will find adversity lies in many aspects of your life and you may rise from it with scars. The difference between myself and you is that you still have the choice to not let the pain turn you hard. You bear the burden of the world, but you must open yourself to its beauty, too.

It may seem unfair at times that you must be the one to change the world when so many others seem to take the easy road. However, I promise you that there is good that will persevere. I promise that you are making a difference even if you can not see it.

The good news is that I am here to support you, as are so many other women. Open yourself to positive female role models and they will help you be the change. We are all the change in this world, love. Just you wait and see.