If I Ever Have a Daughter…

If I ever have a daughter, there are a few things I’d like to teach her while she’s still young enough to soak it in and live it out.

Now, I’m still a young woman, but then again, I’m sure I’ll never feel any differently. Age is merely a number, and at 97, I’m positive I still won’t feel “old.”

But we’re getting off topic now… *cough*

If I ever have a daughter, I want her to know first and foremost, that she doesn’t need to depend on anybody else.

Kelly Clarkson wrote a song about being an independent woman, and well, if Kelly Clarkson sings about it then it must
be important. Okay, but seriously. Kelly Clarkson is fantastic, but being independent is even more fantastic.

Sure, you can’t always be completely and totally independent financially/emotionally/ whatever ALL of the time, but there IS a difference between trying to make it on your own and just relying on others to pave the way for you to have some cushy life. Being independent is a mindset… It’s knowing that you don’t need to squat in your parents’ basement forever. No, being independent means that you’re working towards paying all of your bills/loans and you know that you can make it on your own. If not now, then soon.

I want her to know that she can be strong, driven and outspoken, and understand that these traits shouldn’t make her feel as though she’s any less “feminine.”

Confidence is sexy. Yes, I know… that’s a cliche but it’s a darn good one! We should never settle for anything less than what we desire. Women used to cook, clean, raise children and that was it… but not anymore. We’re here to follow our dreams, make a splash, and to live our lives. A woman who goes after what she believes in (whether that’s to be CEO of a big corporation or to be a housewife) is powerful, sexy and a force to be reckoned with.

She can love another with her whole heart or she can cry if someone upsets her, but I want her to know that she doesn’t need anybody else’s permission to feel.

Emotions are important. I know you’re probably rolling your eyes and saying, “obviously” in your head, and I’m assuming this because I even feel silly typing it, but it’s worth saying. It’s important to feel. It’s important to love, to take note when you’re happy, and to really be upset if you’re upset. It’s easy to go through the motions of life and blow off the way you’re feeling. It’s easy to make excuses and say, “She didn’t mean it” or “This is fun but I’m sure I could be having more fun.” Stop it. Stop it, enjoy the moments, feel whatever you’re feeling, and embrace it.

I want her to believe in herself.

I want her to love who she is and who she’s becoming.

I want her to embrace the world around her.

I don’t want her to ever give up on herself because even during the hardest of times, I want her to know that she’s capable of even more than she ever imagined.

I want her to understand that this life is her own. I want her to take control of her life as an independent woman, and I want her to know that she’s got this under control no matter what gets thrown at her.