Dearest Emma,
How you have grown in the last year! For the last twelve months, you have been a baby who couldn’t do much, but now you are a little girl with endless possibilities! As fun as it is to think about the last year, I am even more excited for the months and years to come! Just the other day, we pulled out some wooden blocks for you to play with for the first time. Little did we know that you would be able to stack 6 blocks all by yourself! You had the most cautious, gentle hands while you were doing that. We had no idea you could be so careful doing something. Then another day, while I was holding you, you took 5 steps!! I was helping you, I know, I know… I bet the real steps are coming soon.
Instead of recapping the last twelve months, I have decided to share my “plan” with you. Our plan, I suppose. Although it has been tough already, the real challenge is still ahead. I want to teach you to be the best girl you can be. As much as I want you to be the kid in class with all the right answers, even more than that, I want you to be the kid who stands up for a friend getting picked on. I want you to be the kid who shares her lunch with a friend who doesn’t have his own, or the kid who decides not to be a part of something you know is wrong. I want you to trust me and come to me when you have a problem. I want you to know how to be a friend to someone in need… the list is endless. What an amazing responsibility, huh? I have to teach you about RIGHT and WRONG. I have to teach you to be humble, kind, generous, and noble. I will teach you how to love and care for others and yourself. I will instill in you the confidence to overcome anything. Most of all, I will teach you about God and His love for you. I want to teach you these things! They are what life is all about. These are the things that are eternal.
“How are you going to do this, Mommy?” you ask. Well, I will teach you the only way I know how. I will lead you by example. I want to be and do all these things for you, so you can see them and know them to be true. It’s harder to be a Mommy than most people think. 🙂 Mommies have a little person ( or little people) watching their every move. We have to be very careful about what we do and what we say because our child is always there. You, the Mommy, truly are your child’s world. You are what is RIGHT in their eyes and they want to be like YOU. It blows my mind thinking about it.
So, Emma, I promise to be the best Mommy I can be for you. It is my job to take care of you, keep you healthy, and keep you safe. Your Daddy and I love you very much, and that in itself has already given you the best start in life. We are so proud of you. We can’t wait to see the girl that you will become. Take it easy on your Daddy. He might not be ready for what’s ahead. 😉
Love you always,
Mommy
Los Warshaks 