Dear Daughter,
It’s been so exciting to watch you growing up. And now, that you are becoming a young lady, I see you trying to make sense of so many things in life.
There are a great number of different things that attempt to tell you what you’re worth. The magazines expect you to be perfect, the newspapers want you to be a successful businesswoman, the peers at school or work want you to be beautiful and popular, the billboards and movies want you to be sexy… it goes on and on.
There’s a lot of pressure for a young lady. Pressure to be beautiful. Pressure to be popular and well-liked.
It’s easy to forget the important things. It’s easy to forget that God made you uniquely and even, if by chance, you are missing an arm or have a scar across your face you are beautiful.
You are beautiful.
I have watched you for years. You have so much goodness in you. You light up a room with your smile and bring such delight to those who love you.
As your mom, I encourage you not to let the world define who you are. Or tell you what your value is. You know in your heart, you are a precious young lady. When you feel the tug on your heart telling you, “You don’t need to do that to prove you have value,” – listen. Believe it. That is the Creator who made you. His opinion is the one that matters. His opinion and His love for you will never change. He will never steer you wrong.
Your friends are in the same place you are. They may look like they have it all figured out (whatever that means!), but they don’t. Often they too wear a veil of confidence and are desperately trying to fit in.
Realize that you are uniquely you. You don’t need to fit in. You are uniquely you. Figure out what excites you about your future; set some goals; and find some like-minded friends that can walk that way with you. Supporting you. Not encouraging you to be “one of them” and “do what they do.” True friends want the best for you. Self seeking “friends” want you to validate them in their craziness and insecurities.
Do you remember that movie, “A Walk to Remember?” The main character was a young high school girl who didn’t fit in. The other kids mocked her, made fun of her, because she dressed kind of frumpy, she kept to herself, she carried her bible to class, and was very different from the popular crowd. What was unusual, was that the girl was quietly confident. She knew she had value beyond what all the other kids could see. I’m sure their spiteful remarks hurt her, but she didn’t let them change who she was..
In fact, when the most popular guy in the school came to her and asked her to help him, she agreed with one condition… “As long as you promise not to fall in love with me.” He laughed and sneered and said that that would be no problem!
But she knew something he didn’t. He couldn’t see her value. He had no clue how special she was. He was caught up in the mindset that the other kids had and getting his value from the majority. She knew she was something special.
As the story unfolds, he falls head over heels in love with her. He, in the end, shows the others her great value. They see beyond themselves and their petty attitudes to see there was something more…
And that’s what I’m encouraging you to do. Walk in confidence. You are magnificient! No matter who can see it or not… Be comfortable with the young lady God made you to be. Walk out your days doing only what you know in your heart is right for you. Don’t get caught up in what other’s think of you. Your value is far beyond what the popular majority thinks.
We all love approval. We all love people to like us. And that’s okay. As long as it doesn’t sway us from who we really are. Stand firm. You are beautiful through and through.
I’m proud to be your mom!
With all my love and admiration.