A Letter To My Daughter

I sit here, writing this to you. It is October 12, 2015. It is a beautiful day at 80 degrees. I am 21 years old, not married, no boyfriend, still in college. I want to start by saying that I love you. You have not come along yet, but I love you. I have thought about you more times than I can count. I have even thought about your name. I know without a doubt that you are absolutely beautiful. But there are some things that I want you to know.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have thought about you and the things that I envisioned you doing. I have prayed that you would grow up to be a wonderful daughter of God. Life is hard, and there are many things that make being a child of God hard. As you get older, life gets harder. I wish that I could tell you that it gets easier, but it doesn't. I have struggled with things that only God could bring me out of.

If you don't already know this by now, breakups hurt. But don't let them get you down, baby girl. There will come a time when you realize that they're not worth crying over. Pick yourself up and move on. God has something better in mind, I promise.

I'm sitting here imagining you right now: a beautiful teenager, smart, funny, sarcastic (you got that from me), but among all else, I see you on fire for God. You will be put down for your beliefs, and it gets worse in college. You will meet people of different religions, and you will meet people that don't believe in anything. I hope that instead of shoving your beliefs down their throats, you'll pray for them. Remember what the true love of Christ is all about. We are to love others, regardless. Don't be so opinionated. It's perfectly fine to have an opinion, but unless otherwise asked for, keep your opinion to yourself. Share the love of God, not the condemnation.

I sit here praying that you don't make the same mistakes that I did. Don't be afraid to fall in love, but be careful with falling for the wrong guys. Your Papaw always told me to wait until after college to worry about guys. Honey, I know that's hard. And I'm sure your daddy has told you the same thing. I know my that my daddy was a great example of the kind of man that I should marry, and I know that your daddy is that example for you. I pray that you have a close relationship with your daddy, cause whether you know it or not, he is very significant in the many decisions that you'll make. One day, you're going to call him because you've just had your heart broken, and he's going to be the only one you want to talk to. I'm going to be jealous, and that's okay. Your daddy will give you some of the most amazing advice. Listen to him! Trust me! Little girls need their daddies to be strong when they are unable. For that, I pray for your relationship with your daddy.

Don't worry if you haven't found your place in this world yet. One day you'll realize that you have been in it all along. Adventure out and do what makes you happy. Never look back on past mistakes and allow them to fill your heart with ache. Pick your pretty little head up, and move on. This world can be a cruel place. I want you to remember to always be kind, even to those that stomp all over you. God has made you to be you. If he wanted you to be anyone else, he would've made you differently. I pray that you never lose your faith and that you always lend a helping hand to anyone in need. And just know that whenever you need Mama, I promise I will always be there. I love you, my darling.