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.