100 Things I Want to Tell My Daughter

Summer is moving way too quickly around here & school starts in just one week.  I know a lot of moms count down to those days with happy anticipation but I am always a little sad to see our carefree sun-filled days come to an end.  This summer has been especially bittersweet & nostalgic for me as we celebrated some milestones.  Lulu turned 5 just a few short weeks ago & is heading off to Kindergarten & Mary Scott seems to get more mature with every passing day.  My babies have turned into little girls & I find myself wanting to turn back the clock &  really enjoy the years that have already passed with a new found appreciation.  I wish I had played more & worked less, been more spontaneous with them, & that I could turn off my worry button that is on a constant loop.  But I know I can't stop time or even turn back the clock.  So I have vowed to try & live more in the moment & appreciate the blessings God has bestowed on me.  Paperwork & dishes can always wait.  I came across this blog via Pinterest just a few nights ago & I thought it was very fitting for where I am in my life right now.  While there are some items I don't think we will be discussing for a while,  Lisa-Jo Baker  imparts some wise words of wisdom....

100 Things I Want to Teach My Daughter

1. Beauty is a state of mind, not a state of body.
2. The benefit of the doubt is sometimes the best gift we can give our friends.
3. There will always be mean girls – that doesn’t mean we find a tower and Rapunzel ourselves away from the world.
4. Your daddy has loved you better and longer than any boy ever will.
5. Your brothers will teach you how boys should treat you.
6. You’re always welcome in my wardrobe.
7. The world needs your point of view.
8. Food is a joy.
9. Your body is strong and capable of more than you can imagine right now.

10. Ice cream is a love language.

11. Cook, decorate, clean, organize because you love to, not because someone tells you you’re meant to.
12. Music makes everything better.
13. Dance – especially when you’re doing the laundry.
14. You’ll never be too old for me to rock you.
15. Nothing you tell me will ever make me want to stop hearing from you.
16. We need your story.
17. No prayer request is ever too small, too silly or too embarrassing to share.
18. Washing your face every night is the best kind of beauty routine.
19. Sunscreen – you got my British genes.

20. Mr. Darcy and popcorn make for a perfect evening.

21. Blue eyes really do melt hearts.   ( I would insert BROWN here!)
22. Betty Crocker’s chocolate fudge is the best in the world.
23. A good movie can change how you understand someone else.
24. Words can build bridges between people.
25. Home is not where we live but who we love.
26. Gumboot dancing.
27. Your name holds a special meaning for us.
28. Inevitably I will splinter your heart. But we will tweeze it out together.
29. You taught me how to feel beautiful.

30. Staying up late to read a good book is never time wasted.

31. Good girls aren’t boring.
32. A great mascara is always worth the investment.
33. 4pm high tea is one of the best parts of being part South African.
34. The “mommy wars” are a myth; we’re all in this together.
35. The best way never to worry about anyone gossiping about you is never to gossip about anybody.
36. Saying sorry first is a sign of strength not a weakness.
37. I’m on your side; especially on the days when it doesn’t feel like it.
38. Your body is not just yours. It’s a gift for your husband. I promise it’s worth waiting to unwrap together.
39. Sex for the first time will require a beautiful sense of humor and a partner who’s in it for life.

40. The movies lie. Passion isn’t a contorted exercise on a marble staircase, it’s doing the dishes together and lying with your feet touching in bed at the end of a long day.

41. Marriage is an act of courage, commitment and sacrifice. It’s also the most fun you’ll ever have with your best friend.
42. Always fight fair. But don’t be afraid to fight.
43. Long hair requires a really good conditioner.
44. God says He has made all things beautiful – that includes you, my love – no matter how you feel about your body
45. Fashion is not my forte; I look forward to learning from you.
46. I love the curves you and your brothers added to my body.
47. A good cry is great therapy.
48. Christian women aren’t immune from cliques. Love on regardless.
49. Bad hair days are inevitable.

50. A strong man is never threatened by a strong woman.

51. Go big even if it means failing big. Especially then.
52. Be the friend you wish you had.
53. Travel.
54. You can’t control what others think about you. Let it go.
55. A first kiss should be toasted, treasured, savored.
56. I will be your best friend. But I will be your mother more.
57. Your dad will teach you about music. He has the best eclectic taste.
58. You can’t go wrong with The Civil Wars
59. Stop for sunsets.

60. Prince Charming isn’t a fairytale, he’s a myth

61. Daughters teach us about our mothers. You gave me back my mom.
62. Jesus loves you for you. Not for your ability to bear children.
63. Husbands need a wife. Not another mom.
64. It’s true what they say about childbirth and then some.
65. Love waits.
66. Patience is never wasted.
67. Don’t just Instagram your life. Live it.
68. Dad will be the one helping you with math homework.
69. Don’t be afraid of a broken heart.

70. The only thing holding you back from making a difference in the world will be yourself.

71. South African pancakes are better than American ones.
72. Girlfriends are the best kind of free therapy there is.
73. Don’t be afraid to be foolish.
74. Real life is always better than online.
75. A good friend loves at all times. Period.
76. Read everything written by Madeleine L’Engle.
77. Eating too much nerds candy will be something your teeth make you regret in your thirties.
78. I’m more interested in your growth than your happiness.
79. I will earthquake wide open when you hurt.

80. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t do it, wear it or say it.

81. Challenge yourself.
82. Walk across the Charles Bridge in Prague.
83. Learn at least one other language.
84. Cross-cultural marriage is much harder than you can ever imagine when you first fall in love.
85. Homesickness never gets easier.
86. But Dramamine is the perfect cure for motion sickness on 18 hour flights.
87. We need each other.
88. Bad haircuts grow out eventually.
89. You will love again.

90. The painful truth is always easier than a messy lie.

91. Jesus loves you, this I know. In my heart, my bones, my soul.
92. There’s no such thing as perfect.
93. You can always come home.
94. Nothing will make me love you less.
95. Nothing will make me love you more.
96. The mirror is not the boss of you.
97. You’re the most brave when you’re the most scared and keep going anyway.
98. Womanhood is a gift.
99. I’m never tired of being your mother.
100. You will always be my baby girl.

Obviously, I need to tweak some of these to fit my girls.  But the sentiment is the same.  I want them to be prepared for the world they are living in & I want them to know they are loved  (by their father & me) UNCONDITIONALLY, NO  MATTER WHAT!  Lisa-Jo seems like a mom who has it together.  She has inspired me to write down my own words of wisdom for my girlies.  Of course this can wait until next week when the school bell has rung.  This week we have games to play, sand to stick our toes in, & snuggles & kisses to give!