I just want to start out by saying I am not expecting, nor do I plan on being pregnant anytime in the near future. However, as a teenage girl, I feel as though it's inevitable to dream about your own wedding, your potential husband, your adorable kids (two boys and a girl), you may even have a list of names for your imaginary kiddos (I know I do). As an adult, the way I want to raise my children has gone through my mind one too many times. Sure, with my never-ending list of "to do's" in college, I should not even have the time to think about my life beyond the present, but believe it or not there is life after college even if it doesn't always seem that way.

As a brand new college student and basically a brand new adult as well, I have come to appreciate my mom and the many things she taught me to make sure I was prepared for life on my own. Not only has my mom made sure I was well equipped for life beyond her nest, but she also has built me up, encouraged me to follow my dreams and have high ambitions. Because of my mom I have never known a day without love. She has taught me that "I can't" should not be in my vocabulary and that quitting something once you start is wrong no matter how much you hate it (4th grade cheerleading was rough, OK). My mom has raised me to be strong willed and independent. She has taught me to never stand down in the face of adversity and that I can handle anything life throws my way. This is the type of mother I aspire to be one day (but not for another 20 years according to my mom).

I want to lead by example for my own daughter by teaching her to love herself before she loves anyone else. My wish is that she will be herself and stand out in the crowd. I hope to teach her to not only accept herself but others as well. I want her to know the importance of confidence and determination. Young girls are so easily impressionable, the things people say or do can stick with them for a lifetime. One thing I have promised to myself is that I will only talk positively about myself in front of my daughter. I want to show her that loving yourself is crucial. Its necessary to live happily and comfortably in your own skin, and I don't want her to think badly about herself for a minute. I want to raise my daughter to not only show kindness to herself but kindness to others as well. As the years go by and I grow older, the one thing I notice with young kids is their lack of compassion and respect for others. My hope is that I can convey the importance of treating others with love because everyone deserves that. I want my daughter to see others as equal and be open to individuals that are different from her. I want my her to know that she can be whoever she wants to be. She can be a doctor, plumber, CEO, wife, mother, lawyer, motivational speaker, engineer, or teacher. She can be all of that and more as long as she can provide for herself and she is happy. I hope that I encourage her to branch out and try new things, to meet new people, and to avoid selling herself short. I can only hope that I can teach her to face adversity head on. I want to raise my daughter to be strong and when she feels like the world is crashing down to turn to God. I want her to find comfort in her faith. Hopefully in a few years time I will learn how to cook (right now I make a mean Easy Mac) so that is a lesson I want to teach her as well.

Lastly, I want to raise my daughter to have a kind and genuine heart. I can only hope that she is generous, proud, and honest. And as I write this I cannot help but hope she learns these things from me because I learned all of that and more from my mama.