My wish for you

If I could go back in time and tell my younger self all I know now, trust me I would. All the things I would of avoided, all the times I would of not let people walk all over me and most of all, I would take back all the time I've wasted not thinking I was good enough. But unfortunately, no one has invented a way to do that yet. They must of been spending all their time inventing the important things, you know like selfie sticks and all those wonderful informercial products (those commercials are totally not dramatic at all). But since I can't go back in time, I am going to spend this time teaching my daughter all the lessons I have learned, even the really hard ones.

Addie I have a million and one wishes for you, but I mean what parent doesn't? Regardless of what I may wish or want for you, always follow your heart. Do what makes you happy, not what will make others happy. Put yourself first and never lose sight of that. Your future will be as good as you are willing to make it. You must put forth the effort to see results, because as you are already learning, nothing comes easy in life. But with your strong willed, independent and very determined personality, I don't see that being an issue for you.

Like any parent I wish you a life full of happiness, but I learned pretty early on in my life that happiness comes with a price. It often means letting go sometimes of the people you love most. Addie as much as I don't want you to ever feel pain, you will have your heart broken, and you will also break hearts so please always remember how that feels. Goodbyes are never easy but sometimes they are necessary for you to grow. Please don't ever waste your time on someone who doesn't add to what you already have to offer. Always and I mean always respect yourself enough to walk away. No boy is ever worth it if he is causing you pain. And please do not tell keep telling yourself it will get better, the abuse will stop or he will stop cheating on you. Trust me when I say nothing is going to change. Some people are just broken and it is never your job to fix them. Do not be afraid to be alone, rather find strength in being able to stand on your own two feet and not needing to depend on anyone.

Speak your mind. Girl yell it from the rooftop if you need to, but never stop standing up yourself. Do not ever let anyone silence you. You have a voice, use it. I don't care what social media or politician's may say, your voice matters. Never let anyone make you feel small or unimportant. The sooner you make it know you are a force to be reckoned with, the less people will walk all over you or take advantage of you. This is something I still struggle with but you have given me the strength to start standing up for myself.

Life is tough my darling but so are you. There will be moments in your life that shake you to the core. Times when you hit rock bottom and think there is no way out, but there always is. Sometimes in life we need to be broken so we can build ourselves back up stronger and better then we were before. Promise me no matter what, you will always know you can come to me. Trust me I have done my fair share of not so great things, I have made many mistakes in my life but that's okay, I'm human. Mistakes are apart of life and no matter how big or small they may be, I will always love and support you. Don't waste your life dwelling on your mistakes, learn from them and move on. Even in your darkest moments I will be your light out of them, as you have been for me.

Love your body today and always. Believe me when I say looks aren't everything and its so important to get that into your head. This past summer I don't know how many times I told you I love your cute stomach, and God do I hope and pray you always do too. If you are anything like me you will have your fair share of struggles with self image and self worth. But do not even for a second let the cover of a magazine, a boy or the popular girls at school make you believe you aren't good enough or you need to change. Your body will always be perfect just the way it is, take good care of it. Eat what you want to eat, wear whatever makes your soul happy and never lose sight of who you are. Look in that mirror everyday and tell yourself you are beautiful and you are enough, my darling you are so much more then enough. Please promise me you will always be kind to yourself.

Family is one of life's most precious gifts. Friends will come and go but family will be there for you no matter what. Do not even for a second take that for granted. Life can be so fragile and unfair sometimes, so please spend as much time as possible with the ones who love you. Social media will easily distract you, but don't let that take away from life's most beautiful and special moments. That post will be there an hour, a day or even a week from now, but those grandparents and great grandparents may not. You will never look back on your life and regret not spending enough time on social media, but you will with your family. Live in the moment always.

Most of all, live your life. Travel the world, fall in love, do whatever makes your heart happy. Life the live you envision. Do not let the fear of failing get in your way of doing what sets your soul on fire. And even when everyone may take one path, don't be afraid to take the path less traveled. It is okay to stray off course, change your mind a million times and not do things the "normal" way. Never compare your life to anyone else's or you will end up miserable. Their life wasn't meant for you. And even when it seems everyone else around you is succeeding or so much farther along in life then you, that's okay. Not everyone's journey looks the same. In the end we all end up at the same finish line, why rush our way there? Trust in God's plan for you. As much as I know you can't wait to be all grown up so you can do things, you will miss these carefree and innocent years more then you can imagine. Enjoy and embrace each new season of life. My sweet girl I wish you nothing short of a beautiful life filled with love, laughter and joy.

~As your mother I promise you that I will always be in one of three places; in front of you to cheer you on, behind your to have your back or next to you so that you aren't alone.~