Tag Archives: open letter

1

Plane, Train, or Automobile

|

Dear Ellie:

I don’t have any big metaphors today I just to make sure I tell you to travel. See new worlds my baby don’t ever be afraid to step outside your front door. Whether it’s going from the south side to the north side new experiences are waiting for you. And make sure you use your resources, if you make a friend that moves to London hop on a plane and go! (I’m sure your God Father will move somewhere exotic by the time you’re able to travel alone so go visit.) Every time you experience a new country, city, or town your world view expands a bit more and you see things a little differently. See as much as you can, and go as far as you can. You don’t have to be afraid to travel because there will always be a home waiting for you. Home is where you are loved and comfortable. When you travel you won’t know the people and it may even get a little scary but that’s life my baby. You realize what you’re capable of when you allow yourself to experience discomfort. The love and comfort of home will always be here, in fact you can carry it with you in your heart when you travel so JUST GO…what’s stopping you? Nothing at all in fact the world is waiting!

Love You Always,

Mommy

P.S. To the little girl sitting comfortably on her side of town…grab a bus card, buy a train ticket, apply for a study abroad scholarship. Do whatever you have to do but go make some memories…and not the same ones you made yesterday. You never know what’s out there for you if you don’t go looking. And you may have a million reasons (excuses) why you can’t but you can find a way or make one to do anything…I promise you that!

1

The Fast Lane

|

Dear Ellie:

Mommy and Daddy spend A LOT of time in the car…commuting to work, running errands, road tripping with you, and so on and so forth. Thanks to you though my baby everything has new meaning and I’m learning to see the lessons and blessings in even the most mundane things, like traffic! Today as I drove home I thought about lanes. In life there will be times that you will be in the fast lane, times you’ll be in the passing lane, and times you’ll be in the far lane realizing your exit is coming up. You will also share those lanes and my baby I guarantee you that everyone is not a good driver. There are drivers who will cut you off and try to steal your place in the lane just to get two cars ahead. There will also be drivers who when they see you trying to get over will block your way because they don’t want you to pass them. And there will be drivers who are just in the totally wrong lane, speeding in the slow lane or going at the pace of a snail in the fast lane. As your Pops always told me when I was learning to drive “it’s not your driving I’m worried about it’s everyone else’s out there.”. So my baby drive defensively. Not so defensively that you don’t let people into your lane or cut in front of you when they ask nicely but make sure you pay attention. Every driver is not a good one and there will be times when you just have to let some of them pass for your own well being. Don’t waste your energy in road rage getting angry at those you felt wronged you because they will keep on driving and not think twice. Your goal is to get safely to your destination, of which you’ll have many. Sometimes you’ll be in the car pool lane with someone along for the ride helping you get through the traffic. Whatever experiences you have on the road of your life enjoy it, pay attention, and say a prayer before you go because you never know what’s waiting for you on the road.

Love You Always

Mommy

P.S. To the little girl racing down life’s highway slow down young girl. I promise you the road stretches on for miles and miles. Don’t be in such a rush give yourself time to get there.

0

New Beginnings

|

Dear Ellie:

New beginnings can be so exciting. In fact its one of the things I love most about seeing you grow up. Everything is so new and exciting to you. Its almost like I get a new beginning too. Holidays this past year because they were your first were just as exciting for me this past year as they were when I was a child. What brings excitement to new beginnings is the freshness of them. So today I want to tell you my baby that it is possible to start fresh. When life throws a curve ball at you or you just find yourself stuck in a routine that you’re not happy with allow your self to move forward and start fresh. The mistakes of your past can turn into quick sand, keeping you stuck in the same pool of guilt and shame, but only if you let them. I’ll tell you a secret: EVERYBODY MAKES MISTAKES! The key to moving past them is owning up to them. You can’t learn the lesson you were supposed to learn from a mistake if you’re busy trying to bury it. Instead put that energy into a fresh start. Whatever it is keeping you from starting fresh…LET IT GO my baby, for the sake of your sanity LET IT GO. And I don’t mean a superficial saying you don’t care when you really do letting go, I mean a true make peace with the situation and yourself and move forward kind of letting go. Whatever it is that you think is to big to handle its not…you can do this trust me. And whenever you feel like its too much to handle I promise to be here for you to unload on. God didn’t give me the strength to carry you for nothin’ my baby. I promise to hold you up when the world weighs you down and to push you forward toward that fresh start…always.

 

Love You Always,

Mommy

 

P.S. To the girl hiding from herself because she’s embarrassed, ashamed, hurt, or feeling anything else that’s weighing her down I double dog dare you to let it go. Take ownership over your present and future and soon you will realize you hold the rights to your past too. You can’t control what people do or how they feel about you but can take charge of your life and the sooner you do the better. 

2

Open Letter

|

Dear Ellie:

Everyday Mommy thinks of something that I hope I remember to teach you when you’re old enough to understand and every week I work with young girls and I hope I can help them remember life lessons that will help them along their way. So I decided to start a blog to be used as an open letter that you can read when ever you want and can also be shared with daughters around the world. I know that sounds big but that’s my biggest hope for you. DREAM BIG MY BABY!! You can do ANYTHING! By the time you can read this I will probably have told you that 2 million times but I pray you never forget to tell yourself that because the world will constantly throw reminders at you that will suggest that you can’t do something…DON’T BELIEVE IT! I hope my voice will stay in the back of your head telling you to keep going, keep reaching, don’t give up, if you fail it will only make you better the second, third, fourth, time around! But Mommy knows that sometimes disappointment and tough times can drown out the good thoughts so you will always have these letters to get you back on track. Always remember you are my sunshine so keep shining bright!

Love You Always

Mommy

P.S. To other girls reading this the same applies to you. Every girl is special and is someone’s sunshine and if you don’t know whos sunshine you are BE YOUR OWN AND MAKE YOUR OWN LIGHT!!

20140517-122754.jpg