A letter to Emma

Baby Girl, 

It’s a dark, and violent world we are living in.  I don’t know at what point in life you will read these blogs, but I can only imagine things are going to get worse before they ever get better.  I hope this is not the case, but it seems to be the way things go.  In all this darkness that looms, please know you can be the light.  I see it in you now, and I hope it never dims.  I’m going to do my part to keep your light blazing on, but at some point, you will have to be responsible for it.  So here are a few things that I want you to remember. 

We truly are all created equal.  We may have different skin colors, eye colors, hair textures, beliefs, economic standings, and languages, but we all bleed the same kind of blood.  We all feel pain, joy, fear, excitement, and love.  We all come from mothers and fathers that love us, and we all will be missed by someone when we pass away.  There is zero reason to feel hatred toward your fellow brothers and sisters.  I don’t care what walk of life they come from, please try to find common ground with them.  Please try to understand their struggle.  For we all are fighting some battle, so strive to fight together as opposed to fighting against each other.  There is strength in numbers, so join in, and help the cause. Don’t contribute negatively to it.  Stand tall and proud in society.  Let your light shine.  

Be silent when it’s time to be silent.  And be loud when it’s time to be heard.  Darling, there are moments in life when you will want to tell someone exactly how you feel.  But, before you run your mouth take a moment to ask yourself; “is this honest, is this helpful, is it rational.”  Because if it’s not, it is best to stay silent.  It took me many many years to learn that silence can be your biggest noise.  A person who is angry wants to anger others. Silence stops them from riling up the crowd, and frustrates them so much that they will spiral into themselves.  Silence also allows you time to listen so valuable information can be gained.  Silence is a powerful weapon.  Learn to be still.  Yet, there will be times when you will need to be loud.  You will need to stand for what you believe, you will need to be heard over the masses, and you will need to say your words with a strong, passionate voice to gain control and demand respect.  I need you to take a breathe, and remember what your are to ask yourself; “is this honest, is this helpful, is this rational.”  And if you see fit, let your words ring from the mountain top.  But remember, once you put words out into this world, you can not get them back.  They are very powerful, and you must own them.  

Violence is never the answer.  Media, society, and everywhere else you may look will tell you that it’s an eye for an eye.  I don’t believe that, and neither should you.  In this life, you are going to see a lot of violent behavior.  And in this life, you will hear violent words filling violent stories.  But, you can chose to speak with love, walk in love, and fight for love.  Because a loving heart is all that will heal wounds.  And our world is surely wounded. Spread love.  In all things, love. 

There are going to be hard days.  Days where obstacles are going to fly at you, and arrows are going to pierce you.  There are days when you are going to want to sit and cry.  There will be days when life will get so heavy you can barely put one foot in front of the other, and you will feel defeated.   These are the days that you have to gather yourself together mentally, and be strongest. Your light must shine the brightest, and your faith must never waiver in these moments of tribulation.   You have 2 parents who are fierce fighters, and will battle along side you for as long as we can.  We will teach you to be a mental, and emotional warrior.  Remember the lessons we teach you because one day we won’t be around to remind you of them.  Just know that when the storm is raging and dark, there is still lighting that comes to light up the world.  Be that lighting in the storm. Be electric, be bold, be swift, and strike with brilliance.  When the storm is over, a rainbow will appear with the sunshine.  There will always be sun after a storm.  

I could sit and give you example after example of how life can twist and turn,  how socially we are falling apart at the seams, and how the media is taking to that like savages.  I could tell you about all the terrible things culturally that are going on in our world right now, but I won’t.  Instead, as your grow, I will walk next to you to keep you stable, I will show you how to shine your light in the darkness, and I will show you how to walk in love.  I will be the example of strength, dignity, grace, love, and honesty that is lacking in this world so you can take over my footsteps when time comes.  And when that time comes, they will try and dim your light.  But let it shine, baby.  Let it shine.