Hello my darlings.
Thinking about motherhood sends so many emotions through me, like electric, terrifying joy. It shakes every part of my soul. I’ve been writing about love since I first started to journal in elementary school, but meeting each of you will mean finding the single most astounding and remarkable love I’ll ever encounter. You are the love, and the light that I will spend my entire life trying to capture in words. I want you to know that. I want you to know love, in all the ways it ignites the fire that is being alive. I want you to know that love exists as energy does. It cannot be destroyed. It just changes forms. It re-purposes itself, and manifests in so many aspects of this life. It’s yours for the taking.
1. A love for yourselves.This may be the most challenging love, and one you’ll have to fight for throughout your entire lives. But you need it my dears. You need it more than anything, because you can’t spread love if you don’t have it for yourself.
2. A love for each other. You’re a team. The same blood streams through each of your perfect hearts. Fight for one another. Stand by one another.
3. A love for your father. May he be everything you deserve, and more. May he hold you and protect you. May he be uniquely brilliant, and teach you. May he make you laugh, and make you proud. May he be your rock. May he show you the love I found in him, and may you love him like crazy.
4. A love for your passions and talents.
5. A love for the infinite beauty this world has to offer in nature. May you protect it, and embrace its importance.
6. A love for all races.
7. A love for all genders.
8. A love for all ages.
9. A love for all sexualities.
10. A love for peace. May your world continue to be better. May you live life in a way that recognizes that hatred is poison to the soul.
11. A love of knowledge.
12. A love of adventure.
13. A love of integrity and truthfulness.
14. A love for the innocent and outstanding kindness of animals.
15. A love for captivating displays of artistic splendor.
16. A love for music that awakens you. May you let it take you away, and change you.
17. A love for new people, because strangers are only the friends you haven’t met yet.
18. A love for activism. May you each stand by what you believe in, and advocate for the people, places and ideas that need the strength of your voices.
19. A love of simple joys.
21. A love for your body. Life will pressure you to abandon this love. Don’t listen to the lies. Don’t let yourself get swept up in a culture that tries to steal your love for profit. Be proud of who you are, and of the vessel that carries your true beauty.
22. A love for your health.
23. A love of competition and excitement. May you wear your little jerseys with pride, and put your hearts and souls into the games you play, and successes you achieve.
24. A love for conversation. Listen. Express yourself. Without communication, we lose connection. Keep the connection. Keep the love.
25. A love for romanticism. Don’t let the world convince you it isn’t possible to fall into epic love.
26. A love for spirituality. Whatever paths you each choose, do so because it’s what you want. Listen to your hearts. Believe in anything that you want to, and love the opportunity you have to engage in that choice.
27. A love for human differences. May you discover the power of acceptance. May you never condemn others, or judge them. Love them. Love them because we’re all different, and that’s actually quite remarkable.
28. A love for those who have less than you. May you have compassion and generosity.
30. A love for travel and culture. May you appreciate the breathtaking wonders of this world and of its rare and exceptional people.
31. A love for history.
32. A love for science. May you invent. May you fall in love with innovation.
33. A love for literature. May you fall as in love as your mother did when she was a little girl sneaking into the bathtub at night to try to stay up later to read. May you enter the worlds that only exist in books.
34. A love for many kinds of friends. May you find friendship in a variety of human beings. May you teach other, and constantly grow inside the magnificent realm of companionship.
35. A love for all stages of life. May you never make the mistake of fearing time. Each stage is incredible in different ways. May you never fear your increasing age. Your skin will only gain evidence of past smiles, and your mind will only gain wisdom and appreciation.
36. A love for the difficult lessons. Tears well up behind my eyes thinking about your having to endure hardship. I wish I could ensure that life will be kind to you, or tell you that I can protect you from all of the monsters. I can’t do that. What I can do is teach you to love the lessons you will learn, and ways you will grow. May you see the good in life’s evils.
37. Loves to fall into. May you fall in incredible love. May others see you for how extraordinary you each are. May they steal your hearts away and handle them with care. May they hold you. May they dance with you. May they awaken your souls the way love is supposed to. May they teach you. May they move you. May they captivate you.
38. A love for your future families. However your families end up being built, love them. Love them, and let me love them. Let us love each other. May you teach them what I will spend every day of my life trying to teach you. May we learn from one another, and rejoice in everything that makes us unique and powerful.
39. A love for life. May you fall in love with this life every single day you live. May you love it when you feel broken. May you love it when you feel divine and inspired. May you love it when you need something to believe in.
40. A love for your mother. May you accept my unending love for you. May you love me despite my human weaknesses. May you love me the way I love my mother, and she loves her mother. May you grant me the honor of your love. May you see the best in who I am. I will always fight for you. I will always be proud of you. I will love you, every day.
May you realize that no matter how dark the world becomes, I will be there. I will always exert every ounce of energy I have to bring you back to the light; back to love.
Always,
Mom in 2015
Image Credit: We Heart It