To My Niece

Dear Girl,

One day, dear heart, you’ll be an adult. You’ll spin around twice, blink three times, and a decade or two will have gone by. You will be beautiful, bursting with life and talent, I can tell. Sweet girl, you will break hearts with your blonde locks and your grand imagination. You’ll bat those lashes, give them a flash of your smile (by then you will have all your teeth), and you will have won them over.

Yes, one day you’ll be older than you ever imagined you could be, but you won’t have to grow up. You never have to lose that feeling that life is much larger than you think it is. Keep drawing, do whatever it takes to stay young and silly in your heart. Don’t grow up too fast, keep wearing dresses and being as girly—or otherwise— as you so choose. It is more than okay to want to be like your mother, she is an incredible woman who lives and loves well. Never forget that she is your biggest fan in all that you do, that she loves you and fought to have you. Know that you have two father’s who love you very much. One day you will realize what a true miracle you are, that you are alive only by the grace of God. In the midst of what looked to be chaos was the peace of God resting over you and your tiny body. You were born into this world with a great bang! Causing a ruckus from the moment you came rushing right in. You have a scar that runs right down the middle of your chest, a beautiful reminder of how special you truly are. Never look at magazines of airbrushed people with airbrushed skin and learn to hate that scar— love it, embrace every part of yourself, sweet child, for by then you will be a woman. You will be a woman, and by female nature you will want to hate every part of yourself. But it is not for you, girl, to hate yourself, your body needs your love, and the world needs women like you who are willing to love themselves for exactly who they are. See that scar and love yourself all the more, knowing that you are a miracle, a deeply loved child of God.

Stay sassy, and want the best out of life. Want the best for yourself and others. Love well, live well, do what it takes to see, do, and be everything you so desire out of life. But want the good things, weigh everything in your heart and figure out what you truly deem to be worth loving and cherishing. I told you that you would break hearts, and you will, but should that awful day come when your heart is broken, don’t let that boy be your world. Don’t let yourself be convinced that he is your everything, girl, because he is only a moment in time, a bittersweet page (not even a whole chapter) in your life that you will appreciate when you look back on him. He will be a stepping stone to your life, not the foundation of your world. Let God be that for you. Love God and people and you will go far in life, sweet girl, don’t burn bridges by being cruel. You will find cruelty and self-servitude a bitter poison that only brings you loneliness in the end.

I could go on forever about all the things that you will accomplish in life, and give you advice that could fill up ten books or more. All you need to know is how much I cherish and love you, and remember these few things I have said and you will do well, girl. You will see a million things and more, filled with places and faces that enrich your life. You will have story after story— write it all down, take notes, listen to people and forgive easily. Being bitter is tiresome, don’t waste even a moment on bitterness or its relations.

You will be just fine. Have faith, and take time to enjoy life. The world will try to rush you, but take your time. Cliche though it may be, you only get one chance to live the life you’re given, but you’re given a million chances to start over everyday. Take risks, be brave, know that a part of being brave means not being afraid to cry or speak your heart. Don’t be afraid of being wrong, it’s absolutely stupid to worry about being “wrong”. Just stay that twirling, laughing child in your heart and you will do fine.

All my love,
Your Aunt.