I Promise You

Dear Daughter

There is a million and one things I wish for you. I can't promise them all for you, but here are a few of them that I can.

I promise at least once a day to get down on the floor and be a total idiot with you.

I promise to celebrate your voice and let you hoot like a monkey, shriek like a banshee and be a happy goofball like the rest of us. I'll make sure to happily distract you with quiet fun if we're not someplace that would appreciate the wounded coyote song, but I'll make sure to do it in such a fun way that you really won't mind.

I promise to talk to you a lot, to point out everything in our world and remember how new and exciting it all is.

I promise to teach you how to be the kind of child and person who people will love to be around. I will have high standards for you, but never too high to attain.

I promise to teach you how to find your own happiness so you never need more men, money, or friends to find joy in life.

I promise to always give you time where it's just the two of us.

I promise to be honest with you. I won't sugar-coat the world but I will also always let you know that you have a lot of people who treasure you and they will always help keep you safe. I promise not to forget, when you're old enough, to teach you how to stay safe -- even though I don't want to admit you could ever need it.

I promise to always put a little magic in your life.

I promise that sometimes I'll love you so much it makes me cry, and that no matter how old you are I will still sneak looks at you while you're sleeping, playing and living life.

I promise that there will always be people who love you so much it's amazing, and we will be there for you no matter what.

I promise to never stop reading parenting magazines and books, talking to mothers, and listening to my heart so that I grow as a mother.

I promise to realize that you have to make your own mistakes sometimes and it's not my job to protect you so much that you never experience life. I'll do my best to give you room to fall off the jungle gym, date a guy with blue hair or take a year off college. If your daddy has to superglue my lips together, I swear I'll hush and be supportive!

I promise you, you do not know yet, the unique and wonderful spot you fill on this planet.

I promise you need to participate in hope to make things happen.

I promise you will never find the place where all the odd socks go.

I promise happiness is a choice.

I promise if I could spare you from the pain in the world, I would.

Here is the BIGGIE. This one has a 100% Guarantee attached.

I promise to LOVE you with everything I am, everything I was and everything I will be.

I love you Little Girl
Always and Forever
Mama

Written: 04/17/2010