To my unborn daughter:

To my unborn daughter:

Never shall I tell you
That you belong beneath someone else’s ego

Never shall I tell you
That your worth is lesser than any other person’s

Never shall I tell you
That you are not capable to dream for yourself

Never shall I tell you
That you are comparable to the beings around you

Never shall I tell you
That you should mend your ways to impress a cruel world

Never shall I tell you
That you should give up your desires to gain someone else’s approval

Never shall I tell you
What you should and what you shouldn’t be

Never shall I tell you
That you need to follow trends to fit in, buy brands to be loved.
Layer yourself with makeup to be accepted

Never shall I tell you
To listen to the voices of others because you have your own opinions to voice

Never shall I tell you
That you are weak because out of all possibilities, you fought to exist

Never shall I tell you
That you should stay in a home that degrades your value

Never shall I tell you
That you need to compromise your worth for someone, or something else

Never shall I tell you
That the path you will take will be easy because it won’t

Never shall I tell you
that you are not ready

But I will tell you, my love,
Each and every day
That you are a gem for me
That you are beautiful inside out
You are smart, brave and courageous.

I will tell you
with tears spilling down my cheeks
That the world is unkind, unjust, and cruel.
I will tell you with a lump in my throat
That the world will break you every chance it gets.
I will tell you with an embrace, that those closest to you
will take advantage of your kindness.
I will tell you with my hands shaking,
That you won’t be rewarded for your hard work
and you will be made fun of.

My child, my love
I will tell you again and again
That you will fall,
you will crash
and you will burn
But
you will stand
You will rise
and you will reform
And at the end
When you’ve reached those mountains
And when you’ve crossed those seas
You will wipe away my tears
And you will tell me, with a smile,
“Look I’ve made it.”