I stare at my daughter

 I stare at my daughter and all these silent wishes rush through me. Being a girl mom is tender and terrifying all at once. One day she’ll be grown. She’ll walk through this world as a woman. But to me, she’ll forever be my baby.

I hope she always knows safety. That no one ever makes her question her worth. That she understands there’s no ceiling on what she can dream. I want her to become a woman rooted in honesty and love, someone who trusts herself enough to make choices that honor her heart.

I hope she feels every emotion without shame. That she knows tears don’t make her weak, they make her real. I hope she wraps herself up in self-love so tightly that no one can ever unravel it.

I pray joy and success come to her with ease. That life feels a little softer on her skin than it ever did on mine. I just want more for her. More than what I’ve known, more than what I’ve carried. Because she deserves that. She always has.