Dear Daughter,
You’ve got this. You really do. Don’t judge yourself based on measurements, grades, kilos or likes. Those things will be less important as the years pass and you’ll see that the really important things are the ones that can’t be measured. I spent my teens and twenties giving the numbers on the scales the power to dictate my day only to realise in my late thirties that I am greater than the size of my dress.
Be kind to yourself and others around you. It’s the most important thing. Be humble and know that you’re walking along a path created by generations of hard working and dedicated women fighting for your rights and privileges. You come from a long line of strong, fearless and trail blazing women: How many other grandmothers go back-packing on their own through Afghanistan to meet with the local leaders to discuss the opioid epidemic whilst wearing a traditional Burka? Don’t let fear hold you back or be a deciding factor in your choices. Be responsible but also make fun a priority. Love yourself and your body but most importantly love your mind, that’s the real you.
You’re going to be tested in your resilience, your strength, your motivation and your determination. You won’t always see the life lessons that lie ahead but trust that the universe has you. Not everyone you meet will have as pure a heart as yours but don’t let that harden you. Trust your gut. Trust your mind. Trust yourself. You are good enough. You’ll fall in love and you’ll fall out of love. Enjoy every second of both and let yourself relish in the highs but also languish in the lows. Sharing a soft drink with Marco the lifeguard in Italy as an innocent and unassuming 19 year-old and then crying into my pillow for weeks when he didn’t reply to my love letters is a beautiful memory that was part of the journey that lead me to where I am now; sharing my bed with the one I call Home.
Let yourself unravel and fall apart. You’ll get back up, you always do. I love you.