To My Future Daughter
Maybe it’s the fact that we are in a state of uncertainty and fear or because I can’t stop thinking about this since seeing “Little Women”, but one day, I do want to have a family of my own. I truly wish for the opportunity to watch my children grow into the people they were meant to be, and since I have some time to myself, I can’t seem to do anything but think about what I want to say to my oldest daughter one day.
So, to my future daughter, I wish these things for you:
May you eat whatever you want. I hope that you learn the importance of quality food and what you can do with it. I hope you see how food brings people together and that you carry that wherever you may go. I hope you don’t get stuck with the same allergies I have and that you can eat and make whatever the heck you want.
May you dream big and share those dreams with me. I’ve experienced being shut down by my family when I’ve shared my big dreams and how much it hurt. I hope I keep my understanding that dreams are dreams until we make them a reality and the time it takes for that to happen. I hope that I can be the support you need with your ambitions, not the support you want. You can make anything happen if you truly set your mind to it.
May you value yourself and the world around you. I hope you always put your own happiness and safety first. I hope you see how the world and everyone is connected to each other. I hope you build a community that supports you and that you offer support to. I hope you understand the importance of valuing and taking care of the Earth.
May you remember who and where you came from, no matter where you go. I hope you come home for the holidays. I hope you visit the graves of the loved ones who have passed away. I hope you stay in contact with friends as you all will grow older. I hope you know that no matter how life unfolds, you will always have a place to call home.
May you save your money. I hope you learn the importance of having a Plan Q, especially financially. I hope to watch you save up for what you want and work hard for it. I hope you feel the security of your saving skills as you grow older and the world demands more of you. I hope I teach you what you need to succeed.
May you surround yourself with art. I hope you are a better illustrator and painter than I will ever be. I hope that if you aren’t that you still learn the foundations and can carry them with you wherever you go. I hope you buy art that makes you happy and support artists you know and care about. I hope that with each piece you write on the back why you acquired it and as you get older, you remember those moments in your life. That’s what my mother taught me and her mother taught her.
May you dance in the rain. I hope you are raised in the desert too so that you can learn how important the rain is. I hope you watch it destroy and flood and wash away the places and things you know. I hope you see the new life and opportunity that comes from that.
I love you, always and forever. I can’t wait to meet you one day.