The greatest times of our lives are always when we have the least to worry about. We start with childhood and tread our way through Peter Pipers and Chuck E. Cheese's, rolling in the ball pin, making random friends and poking our noses waiting at the end of the day to hold mom and dad’s hand and wait for a warm embrace as we hear our three favorite words. Once the good times are over, we grow a little more into our skin and become shy and timid to mom and pop's sweet words. We leave the house more and wander the streets for adventure, then we step into young adulthood and get introduced to drugs and alcohol. Our hearts become tender and weak for the ones we love, and responsibilities start to enter the surface. Our fun becomes heightened, but our responsibilities are enlarged. We enter a time in our lives when we start realizing what we want in life. Finally we are adults reaching the "prime time" in our lives, and when college gets wrapped up, careers shape a new path, and little by little we come down from our prime and find the 30s. We start families and the biggest responsibility on this beautiful earth ripens. God’s perfect creation is literally in our hands. And at this time my little girl is about to start her beautiful life. The cycle continues, and my unborn daughter will learn to walk and talk, and I will learn how to say those three words. To my unborn daughter:

Dear Princess,

Growing up I had three brothers. When I was a little boy, I always expressed my wish to have a little sister. I was blessed with my little brother, but there was something about protecting my “sister” that I wanted more than anything. My parents weren’t going to satisfy the wishes of an 8-year-old just so they could bring in a fifth child into play.

Growing up I spent most of my time with your grandmother. I loved my mother more than anything and I understood that it was my duty to protect her from anything that I could. I never grew up with woman except for my mother; however, every other year I was delighted to see my little cousins. On my mother’s side of the family we were blessed with many young children -- and all of them, daughters. I loved helping them and playing with and taking care of them. They were little sisters to me and I cherished with every moment I had. To this day as they grow older and older I love them the same and even offer the protection of an older brother hundreds of miles away.

From the moment you’re born an entire life will change. I’ll see you for the first time and cry every tear in my body. Everything I have done wrong and everything I have done right will lead to our first look into each other’s eyes. I’ll hold you forever and kiss you till I die. You’re my special token. You are my token, a treasure so hard to find, something unimaginable to a man’s eye. With every touch I seem more blessed, an obsession I say is truly a blessing. You are not jewels nor gems, what every man seeks. You are my token; so precious, so unique, and, dare I say, mine. You are my treasure that I have been troubling to find.

I know how boys think and what they want, but I’m not worried about that. You are stronger and smarter than I could ever be. You are an angel, a blessing for me. You’ll be so beautiful and I know the boys can’t say no, but for my little princess I know you’ll grow. You will be a queen and demand respect. You will be free and I will never regret. If he breaks your heart, I will mend a new. We’ll keep trying until you’re a lady that blooms. Your husband will love you and I will grow old. He’ll treat you and keep you like the finest piece of gold. Not like your father, at least give me that. You’ll love him dearly and I’ll watch you grow on. Your responsibilities are growing with a little angel of your waiting like I did to say those three words.

My token, my princess I will you with all my heart from the day that you’re born to the day that I’m out. Throughout our lives I make you this promise to say those three words that everyone enjoys. For you my precious little token, “I love you.”