Friday, September 20, 2013

Hopes for my daughter

There are a lot of things floating around the great Interwebz about the hopes and dreams new parents have for their children, and specifically for their daughters. For example, many times Mark and I hear well meaning people talk about how they will never let their daughter date or drive or move out until she's 30. I realize these are buried deep in a field of protectiveness and love and are, for the most part, relatively innocent hyperbolic statements. But as I rapidly approach the "any day now" phase of my pregnancy, and contemplate not just being pregnant or having the baby but actually beginning to raise a daughter, I've compiled my own list of hopes and dreams for my little baby awesome.

I hope she fails. I want her to fall hard because I want her to her to know how to get back up and smile and ask, "what's next?" instead of flailing around wallowing in her failure.

I hope she is good at lot of things, but terrible at some things. I hope she has ample opportunity to learn that hard work trumps raw talent.

I hope that she talks back and questions decisions and asks "why" and that when she does, I have the strength to answer "I don't know" and the wisdom to help her ask better questions.

I hope she has friends, and dates people she's interested in, and maybe dates some people she's not so interested in, and learns that the people we let into our lives are the most valuable thing we have.

I hope she gets her heart broken, so that she can learn the incredible strength and fragility of the organ that loves. And because someday someone will say to her "my heart is broken" and she needs to able to say back "I know how it feels." And mean it.

I hope she finds a forever love. I hope that love is her best friend and someone she can play with, and laugh with, and cry with, and that its someone who brings out her best self.

I hope she scrapes her knees and gets a wicked sunburn and eats too much candy.

I hope she learns to listen to others with her whole heart, and that when they offer to listen to her, she isn't afraid to share.

I hope she dresses however she damn well pleases, and that whatever she dons she does it on her own fruition and based on how she chooses to present herself, and not the ideals of others.

I hope, I hope, I hope...

I hope the world is ready for her.

5 comments:

  1. Thanks, I'm crying now. =P But seriously, yes to all these.

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  2. I hope she lives her life as my daughter does hers!!

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  3. And... you just made me ugly cry. Thanks. ;)

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  4. Aw shucks I didn't mean to make anyone cry.

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  5. Seriously amazing words Kristen. Thank you for sharing :)

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