Through most of my life, I’ve always felt I was counting down.
From one thing to the next.
Always waiting for the next thing.
Whether it be as a child counting down until my next birthday or Christmas. Or as an adult, counting down the days to the end of the semester, my wedding, a vacation, or a child was born.
If there wasn’t a countdown of some sort, I actually felt defeated. What was I doing with my life? Why was I putting so much effort into plowing through and continuing this rat race if there wasn’t a short-term goal to look forward to?
Aside from the child thing never working out…obviously. They always came much earlier than expected but I was always looking forward to their arrival.
But when each of my girls was born, time seemed to accelerate. In a way, I didn’t anticipate. And in a way, I couldn’t prepare for. In fact, it seemed to accelerate so flippin’ fast that there was nothing to look forward to in the sense that I no longer needed to look forward to the next event or vacation because each day was an adventure, unlike anything I could have imagined.
Oh so much faster.
Warp speed.
So I write to my tween daughter a letter. Because the days go by way too fast and the words just don’t get said.
Dear Sweet Daughter,
You’re enough. Just as you are.
You’re beautifully and wonderfully made. You’re perfect as you are.
To quote a wise woman. “You is smart. You is kind. You is important.”
That should be enough for you. Muffle what anyone says that’s contradictory to this.
Don’t listen to what others say. Don’t listen to those other negative voices in your head that happen to all young girls. you’re enough. You’re perfect. e yourself. There’s nothing that I would change about you and that you shouldn’t want to change about yourself. You’re enough. Be yourself throughout life.
Be you. Because in the end, that’s all that really matters. The only thing that will set you apart.
I love you forever,
Mama
It’s impossible to be everything to everyone. But I just want my children to know that they’re enough.
I want them to know that no matter where they are in their journey, that they’ll always have enough. That they won’t have to worry. That part of my responsibility as their mom is to take care of them no matter what.
There’ll always be a bed in our house. There’ll always be enough food. And I’ll try to take care of them and provide for them without sheltering them for as long as possible.
No matter how much you want to empower your child, you want them to know there’s always enough food to eat. There’s always a place for them to sleep and there’ll always be clothes on their back. They’ll always have their basic needs met.