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January 20, 2015

Genuine Advice from Day One.

 

Photo: fiverlocker / Flickr

Well, hi there,

You sure are chubby. Don’t worry, that’s a good thing when you’re a baby. Starting at about age four though, we’ll have to get a handle on it. I’m sure it won’t be a problem because I see all sorts of adventure in your eyes.

I think you’ll be a fast runner and really good at digging in the mud. When I was small I liked to catch creatures and trap them in your grandmother’s Tupperware. In fact, I obliterated an entire bumble bee population one summer. I also had a pretty unfortunate run in with a rabbit once.

You can ask your grandfather about that when you’re older. It’s too graphic for your first day on earth.

I don’t want the world to harden you quite yet.

What I really want is the opposite for you. I want to show you the softer side of life.

My vow to you, small, chubby human, is to remind you daily that life is so much fun.

You will meet people, too many of them, that will tell you otherwise.

But I’m your mother and you should listen to me. This planet you’ve showed up on today, against your will, based on the unimaginable fit you threw upon your arrival, may seem like a big, scary place, but it’s not.

Everything on this giant, sphere in the sky is within your arm’s reach. Far-away lands, the tops of the tallest buildings and the entire length of the longest beach—all yours.

When your eyes open a bit wider, you’ll realize that there are things to discover all around you. I’ll show you the best things. Like the hose, when it’s spraying up underneath the trampoline and it makes a rainbow—it’s sort of hard to explain. You’ll just have to see it yourself, one day.

Oh, and blanket forts. You and I will make so many blanket forts together.

There are big things to discover, too. Like the woods and oceans and the creeks and streams and the mountains. All of these places are filled with things that are alive and you can visit all of them. They’re all yours.

The world is filled with things that aren’t alive, too.

And some of those things are wonderful. Like crayons and blocks and books and bicycles and Elmer’s Glue and Play-Doh. These wonderful things can take you anywhere your imagination wanders.

And that brings me to my next point, sweet, chubby human.

Inside your tiny head, you have a brain. It’s your ticket.

With it, you can create new universes or stories or even people. When you’re able, tell me what’s in that head of yours. I’m dying to know.

You’ll come to know, child of mine, that this world is full of people who will tell you “no’.”

Don’t listen to them. There are people that will tell you, “you can’t” or “you shouldn’t” but you can and you should.

I want you to know that the world is not black and white. It’s full of color and choices and methods.

Push boundaries, child. Be creative and strong-willed and curious.

As you grow, you’ll make poor choices.

You’ll lie, you’ll say mean things, you’ll cheat and you’ll steal. You will feel guilt. There will be certain times in your life when you’ll feel confused and lonely and defeated. You might become frustrated or angry, at times. It’s okay.

This is part of being human.

You’ll also feel happiness and joy.

Recognize those moments. Write them down, draw a picture of them, share them, remember them.

You’ll laugh so hard you cry, and you’ll cry so hard you choke. There is nothing you’ll feel that I haven’t felt. There’s nothing you’ll do, that I haven’t done, too.

I will teach you how to apologize when you’re wrong and how to forgive when someone else is. As you grow and learn to understand words and sentences, tiny baby, I encourage you to be a listener.

It’s easy to hear, it’s harder to listen.

Every person you cross paths with is meant to teach you something. Every person in your life is purposeful, even if they’re temporary. Be grateful for them.

I want you to be genuine, baby. It’s easy when you’re young, but it gets harder. Please don’t stop being genuine.

Be honest, even when it’s scary.

Be kind, even when you don’t want to be.

Be empathetic, even when it would be easier to be dismissive.

If you do these things, child, you won’t walk through life with a heavy foot. There will be a lightness to you. You’ll float.

Happy birth day.

~ love, Mom

 

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Author: Kathryn Gisi

Volunteer Editor: Kim Haas / Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Image: fiverlocker via Flickr

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