Dear Future Daughter

Dear future daughter,

Today I turned 28 years old. A few years ago, I thought I would have you in my arms by now. But that’s okay.

You are a big part of the life I have envisioned for myself. I think of how I will feel when I see you for the first time. And what it will feel like to hold you close. To have your little fingers wrapped around mine while you see the world for the first time.

There are so many things I want us to experience together. And so many things, I hope to learn from you. I know that being a mother will not be easy, but I promise to do my best. Here are a few things I want you to know.

You are so loved.

Yes, even at that moment, you feel like your heart is breaking to pieces, your head spinning, and your world is coming crashing down. Even when you feel worthless and defeated. Please know that you are so loved.

You decide your worth.

No one else. Just you. You decide your worth and your value. Not your friends, not your colleagues, not your lover, and not your parents. Look in the mirror and tell yourself every day that you are worthy. Worthy of true love, happiness, and abundance.

You are always supported.

There may be times when I won’t understand you. And I may stop you from doing things I feel are wrong for you. Go ahead and do them anyway. I may not like it, but I will always support you.

I hope we are best friends.

This is a big one for me. Growing up, I could never share a lot with your grandmother. I hope things are different for us. I hope I will be the first one you call when you are in trouble and the one you want to eat ice cream and cry with at 3 am.

Being a girl shouldn’t stop you from anything.

Don’t listen to what our society and culture say about being a woman. Don’t ever let that stop you from doing and achieving everything that you dream of. Being a woman is powerful.

Question everything.

Don’t just blindly follow the crowd. Question everything. Be curious. Keep that child in you alive. I may not know all the answers, but maybe we can learn them together.

Academics is not the only important thing in life.

If you get good grades, I will be proud. Even if you don’t, I will still be proud of you. Good marks are not everything. Failing an exam is not the end of the world. Don’t give up your creative interests for good grades. Learn to balance the two.

Be what you want to be.

Whatever you decide to do in life, make sure you love it. If at any point you feel you want to change careers do it. Don’t get stuck at a job you don’t like. You cannot be happy that way.

You create your happiness.

Yes, it begins with you. Nobody can make you happy except yourself. I learned this the hard way. I hope you don’t have to.

No man is worth losing yourself for.

No matter how deeply in love you are, if there is no respect in a relationship, then leave. Do not tolerate toxic behaviors. Do not make a man the center of your world. Do not push your life to the side for him. If he doesn’t know how lucky he is to have you, it’s his loss.

Some people will never like you; don’t be too bothered by it.

Be yourself. Don’t change to fit in. Don’t try to get everyone to like you. You can’t. Instead, be your true self, and the right people will come to you. Having authentic relationships is much more fulfilling than fake ones.

Don’t judge someone before you know them.

Don’t believe stereotypes or what you hear from other people. Befriend that kid sitting alone in class. Maybe she’s a cool person.

Always take care of your health.

Your metabolism isn’t going to be the same, always. So take care of your health. Be active and eat the healthy meals I make for you (Even if you hate my cooking).

Learn to love your body.

Your body doesn’t have to look like the ones you see in magazines. Embrace your curves. You may not like everything about it. But you are still beautiful. Always believe so.

Be kind.

Be kind to your loved ones as well as strangers. Smile at people on the street. You never know what someone else is going through. Your small act may make a huge difference for them. So be kind whenever you can be.

Make a lot of mistakes.

Yes, make mistakes. But more importantly, learn from them. Your mistakes do not define you. Learn and do better the next time.

Always stand up for yourself.

Always. Don’t do anything you don’t want to. Learn to say no. Even to me.

If you want to try drugs or alcohol, please tell me first.

I can give you a hundred reasons why you shouldn’t. I can also do it with you and share fun stories of my dazed 20’s. ( I am way cooler than you think).

Be a little patient with me.

This whole parenting thing is kind of new. And I will be learning so much from you. If I let my old conditioned way of thinking come up once in a while, please be patient. I am trying my best.

Enjoy life. It goes by faster than you think.

Run towards your dreams, but don’t forget to enjoy the view on the way. Do things just for the fun of it. Laugh a lot. Be with people who love you. Always tell them you love them. Tell me too.

At the end of the day, this is your beautiful journey, and I will be here every step of the way.

I cannot wait to meet you, little one.