Dear Ellie:

It dawned on me this morning that you and your cousins have become accustomed to greatness. Its all around you and has become the norm for you. Now I don’t say this to say that you have a perfect life or that there is no room for improvement, because there always is. I’m able to say this because I’ve been blessed to work in a field that keeps me grounded and reminds me on a daily basis that nothing is promised, not to take things for granted, and that things could be much different. I’m thankful for every single person that has ever sat in my office and shared their story with me because it reminds me of the power that our story can have. So I’m reminded every day to share my story with you and to tell you the stories of those that came before you because I want you to know my baby that greatness doesn’t just happen. You can’t just expect greatness and poof there it is. Expecting greatness is only one part of the puzzle. Expectations and faith mean nothing with out work. There will be a lot of times in your life especially while you are young that it may seem as though Mommy and Daddy can just make things happen but we work at providing you with love, supplying your needs, and even spoiling you with some of your wants. We learned that from some great examples. Both of your Grandfathers work far to hard and I’m not sure they even know what a shift is without overtime anymore. That hard work though isn’t lost on us because now your Daddy will get up at the crack of dawn or your uncle to work 18 hours out the day on their crafts. They work just as hard as their fathers only in a different way. So I hope that I am able to succeed in showing you that while I have high hopes and great expectations for you because I know you were born to be amazing (after all your name means God’s Promise) I still want you to learn the same work ethic that has carried so many people that came before you. Don’t just be great my baby keep working to be greater.

Love Always,

Mommy

P.S. To the little girl who feels like everything comes so easy to everyone else…never assume what a person had to do to get where they are. In a time where people become instantly famous and seem to just stumble into money its even more important to remember that what is for you is for you. Focus on your blessings and your gifts and work at that. Your successes can not be measured or lessened by those of someone else so place your energy where it is needed.

Dear Ellie:

While I love writing you letters, reading you stories, telling you about my day, and listening to you discover your own words…words only go so far. In life I believe words inspire but actions show and prove. Don’t get me wrong words have their own strength; they can awaken emotions and cut deep but we can’t forget to give credit to things we do as well. I’m well aware that I can tell you not to do something a million times but if you turn around and watch me do just that thing you’re going to decide to imitate what I do not what I say. The same is true in other parts of life you can tell people all the things they want to hear but at some point if your actions do not align your words will loose value. Words are often misunderstood, misguided, and flat out untrue but actions are much easier to interpret. Actions bring straight lines to the fuzziness and confusion that words can create if not backed up. One of my favorite sayings is “When someone shows you who you are, believe them”. So if you want to be known as a woman of honor, one that is a positive example, one that spreads love and light wherever she goes then you can do that just by being who you are. You don’t have to brag about your qualities and gifts just live in them and people will see you for who you are. And because the world is not perfect my baby there will be some who will try to use words to negate your actions but its like bringing a knife to a gun fight they can only cause real pain if you let them get close enough otherwise to onlookers it looks like a fool fighting a warrior. Keep in mind though there must be a total package you can not speak ill words and live a righteous life any more than you can do the opposite. I am not telling you forget about words but rather to put the same energy in to what you do as you put into what you say you are going to do. Remember always my baby its not what we say to those we love but how we love them, its not how smart we say we are but the knowledge we can demonstrate, its not how weak someone may say we are but how strong we show ourselves we can be. Heroes are who they are not because of what they’ve said but what they’ve done. “To Be” is the simplest kind of verb…all you have to do is be who you were called to be.

Love You Always,

Mommy

P.S.- To the young girl who’s been called so many names and put down to many times to count, don’t let words destroy you. Act like the person you want to be until you and everyone else has no other choice than to either be known as a liar or speak highly of you. And remember there is a whole world out there watching, a whole world of other little girls who just need to see a hero in action and one of them is looking right back at you in the mirror. You can be whoever it is you want to be and you don’t have to tell anyone about it you just have to act on it.