Dear Daughter...

Dear Daughter,

Gaining the title of "Mum" is the greatest honour of my life, that also bares the most overwhelming sense of responsibility.

I wish I could explain what it is to truly want to give someone the world. To want to hand over the best that life has to offer in a neatly wrapped package. To want to set them on the path that gives them everything they desire free from roadblocks and obstacles.

You see, one day, you will be a woman. And the safest place in the world for you will no longer be nestled against my chest, wrapped in my arms. You'll have a life of your own, and instead of being your whole world, I will just be part of it.

What I wish for you, is to carry all the things that are an intrinsic part of your make up, into that life.

As we grow, we are moulded. We start to become part instinct and part influence.

Where you are now, is the peak of your innocence. Untouched and untainted by the outside world. You have a natural fierceness and tenacity that will make you a force to be reckoned with. You have resilience and determination to be rivalled. Your body moves to a beat without reservation. You laugh when you're happy and you cry when you're sad. You are the most authentic "you" that will ever be.

You ask for what you want without apology. You don't pretend to like anything that you don't. You challenge every bit of authority that comes your way.

These are all the things that society would have us believe we need to stamp out of you. But why on earth would I want to put out that spark? Who you are is the most inspiring thing i've ever witnessed. I envy everything that is pure and innocent about you. I don't want to put the spark out, I want to bellow the oxygen underneath you and watch the spark become a wildfire.

I want you to hold on to your authenticity and use it to battle life's challenges with relentless confidence. I hope that you become a woman with the soul of a child.

I hope that you never forget to play. I hope that you always put your joy above all else. I hope that your resilience helps you weather the storms. I hope that you challenge. I hope that you create.

Your spirit is contagious. You don't know it, but you are the sun on every rainy day. You are complete motivation for my being. My life has been split into two parts. There is only before and after you. Sure, the before was exciting in the way it was meant to be. Young and free from any real responsibility. An adventure in the traditional sense.

Oh, but after. After you, is the ultimate rollercoaster. The biggest and greatest adventure of all.

You will grow up being pushed toward humility and modesty. To put the needs of others before your own. To swallow the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your gut.

But always carry with you this. You can be both. Always.

Proud and humble. Confident and modest. Selfish and courteous. Firm and kind. Courageous and scared.

And remember that before you could walk or talk, you were more awe inspiring than anything else in the world. You were fearless. The world was enormous and you were tiny and you faced it without hesitation.

You were born this way. It will always be in you. On the hardest days, you might need to dig very deep to find it. But draw from it, always. This version of you is the mask and cape you can wear when it all seems too much.

I hope that you forgive me for the inevitable times I inadvertently dull your spark. And that you know, you will always find a safe place in my arms. Your life has barely begun, but you are the inspiration for my whole heart.

Love, Always.

Mum.