My Daughter Inspires Me...Everyday

For the people who know me, I say this quite often. Yes I am a proud mother, but I am sincere when I say that my daughter inspires me. She inspired me just today to write this!

She messaged me earlier from her college dorm. She wrote some essays for a job application. It is a job she really REALLY wants. She started her message to me with the fact that she felt weird about her essays and worried they sounded fake.

Ok.

So I read them.

Then I cried.

Then I was overcome with joy.

The essays were beautiful. You see, she is applying for a job where she will be completely immersed in her PASSION - environmental conservation. And when I read these essays of hers I felt her sincere and heartfelt passion and love for what she wants to do. She deeply cares about not just the environment, but also humankind. It was evident in her writing.

I told her not to change a single word.

I also told her that maybe she felt weird about her essays because sometimes it feels hard and awkward and weird to speak from the depths of our souls. From our hearts. Yet, nothing is more beautiful.

Plus her essays were well written and had no grammatical errors, so from that standpoint - change nothing. :)

But, of course, I began thinking further.

I thought of something a dear friend said to me the other day. He is worried about he pre-teen sons. Now, we all as parents worry. It's our job to worry. We wouldn't be good parents if we didn't worry. Yet his worry is a worry that I remember having, too. He is worried about what kind of people his boys will turn out to be in this world. Don't all of us parents have this worry! And I know he's not actually 'worried.' He knows his children are wonderful people. Of course. I told him, not to worry. And, of course, I offered advice...something about taking them to do volunteer work, yada yada.

It's hard to turn off the solution architect in me sometimes.

But as I sit here now, I wish I had said something else to him.

So I say it now:

Your sons will be fine. And even though I do not know them, I can guarantee they will be kind and good people when they venture out into the world. They will be appreciative and see wonder in others and the world around them. Want to know how I know? Because you are good. As parents we lead by example. Kids eat all of that shit up, even if we think they are not looking or paying attention. And because you live your life with love, kindness, empathy, compassion, fun, and joy...they will follow suit.

How can they not.

And they will exceed all expectations. Not because they will make lots of money or have several degrees or go to fancy schools. But because they will take the example you are living (right before their eyes) to even greater heights.

...

And to my daughter I say...I am ever proud of you, LD.

Go move the world!