Dear Ella,
I hope you value family. The people who raise you will always be by your side in times of happiness and in times of hardship. Family will always be your foundation, your identity, and your home. In time, you will come to learn that family is responsible for teaching you these key values and many more.
I hope you value health. I believe that this is the single most important value in life. Without a healthy body and mind, nothing else will fall into place and the balance of life will always be off-center. Your health should always come first. Do not be ashamed of taking the necessary steps towards cultivating a healthy life.
I hope you value forgiveness. With forgiveness comes the wisdom to know when to forgive. It may take time, but you must learn to forgive others. There will also come a time in life where you will have to forgive yourself, for the poor choices you make and the mistakes that may follow. Holding in your emotions will only hurt yourself. Choose forgiveness instead.
I hope you value creativity. Create art, whether renovating an old piece of furniture, creating a scrap book or painting a landscape. Be creative, be inspired, and be bold. Never let your lack of confidence or insecurities hinder your creativity.
I hope you value the little things in life. Cherish a simple hug, a kind word, a warm smile. Never hesitate to try new foods, listen to foreign music, and dance like no one is watching. Never take the little things in life for granted.
I hope you value nature. Enjoy the wind blowing against the leaves, find solace in the songs of the birds in the early morning, and marvel at the ocean and mountains. Drink in the sunrise and sunset. Admire the myriad of colors. Find comfort in the splendors of every season. Live in the moment and cherish nature’s beauty.
I hope you value travel. Traveling gives you wisdom. Traveling lends perspective. Embrace the diversity of cultures, ask questions, continuously learn, voraciously read. Allow your experiences and travel to lend understanding and wisdom.
I hope you value time. Take the time to be in the moment. Often, we look to the future, focus on our goals, dream about our aspirations, and forget to enjoy the present.
I hope you value friends. Place your faith in friends. They will be your support system. Friends will not judge you. They will love you unconditionally, and they will share many of the same values. Friendship, you will learn, may come and go, but true friends will stand the test of time. Value friends who support you not only in the best of times, but also friends who stand beside you at your darkest hours.
I hope you value yourself. You can accomplish anything. You have the tools, support, and confidence to set goals, pursue them, and achieve them. Dream big. You are the only thing standing in your way. Value yourself.
I hope you value adventure. Although you may have a plan in mind, do not be afraid to be spontaneous, be bold, be brave. Allow serendipity to intervene and sweep you off your feet. Allow yourself to be adventurous, without any plan, guide, or instruction manual.
I hope you value moments. Some moments you can never get back. Value the moments, where you can stop time and just watch a beautiful moment, whether good or bad. Learn from these moments.
I hope you value growth. I am referring to your growth and development. Be mindful that who you are now is not always the same person you once were. Take the time to notice the changes in yourself. Be proud and value personal growth.
I hope you value love. Love for everything. Love for your hobbies, love for your friends and family, and love for the partner that you choose. Love and respect go hand-in-hand.
I hope you value understanding. Try your best to understand not only other people, but also yourself. Understand what holds you back, and what keeps you moving forward. Often this is friends and family, or your own insecurities. Understand that everyone is different, people may not have the same values as you, but you must accept, respect, and be understanding of them.
I hope you value honesty. There are different types of honesty. Sometimes we are untruthful for selfish reasons; this could be for attention or a way to get ahead. Sometimes we are dishonest to protect others, and tell white lies. Other times we are not honest with ourselves.
This is where blame can come into play. Sometimes we blame others for our problems which is easy. Instead, value honest and looking within yourself. Be honest, seek the truth, and look inwards for answers.
I hope you value kindness. Be kind to others and accepting of their kindness. An act of kindness can be in the tiniest of forms. No matter how big or small an act, kindness is always appreciated. Take the time to tell someone how you feel about them, give them a hug, send them a card, or make them a cup of coffee. No matter how it is demonstrated, kindness is vital to yourself and to others.
I hope you value independence. Believe in yourself and that you can achieve anything on your own. Have the strength and confidence to reach for your goals, without depending or leaning on anyone else. Try to not to confuse support and dependency. These are two separate things. Do not be afraid to ask for help when times are rough but remember that you are the key to your own success.
I hope you value wealth. Be grateful for the money you have. It does not matter how much it is, understand how fortunate you are to have all that you have. Your wealth gives you flexibility and should empower your life. Still, understand that most live a life with none.
I hope you value freedom. Know that you can choose you own path and express yourself however you want. You have the freedom to pursue any choice you want to make.
Your values will change throughout the course of your life. Somethings that were once of critical importance will not be priorities anymore. You are the only one who can decide what you value and determine the values you choose to live by, there is no wrong answer.
Life is all about balance and harmony. If you focus on only one of your values it usually, is at the detriment of the others. When you are out of balance; greed, selfishness, insecurity, and ego can take over. Unfortunately, this will happen, but remember to catch yourself and that there is always time to make changes and adjust course. Life is always up and down; it is up to you to try not to go too far either way.
In sharing these thoughts with you, my beautiful daughter, I want you to know that I am still learning. I am still changing, growing, and learning to value and appreciate more. I do not think it ever stops. Continue learning from your surroundings and never lose your drive to achieve and grow. Ask questions and be curious, it is the only way to build wisdom.
Remember my sweet girl, knowledge is power and wisdom is built over time. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “I hope you live a life you’re proud of. And if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”
Love,
Mommy
