A letter to Eleanor

I write this letter to my daughter for a few reasons.

Expressing my affections towards her makes my heart happy.

But equally as important, I hear story after story of people who needed to hear similar words when they were a child, but for whatever reason, didn’t.

I hope that these words will minister to your soul, too, and that you will know the depth to which you are worth loving. Regardless of whether you experienced it or not.

My dearest Eleanor Laine,

You, my dear, are the delight of my heart. Your smile, curiosity, and endless wonder will never get old. You are equal parts fierce and tender, and I adore that about you.

You are cherished and treasured solely because you are who you are.

The way your eyes light up when you laugh and the dimples in your smile are precious. You are strongly independent and charmingly brave.

As you grow, I will never need you to be anyone other than the person you are. You will have nothing to prove to me or to this world. You need only to exist and be yourself.

I hope that you’ll feel the freedom to explore this crazy world, knowing that you are deeply loved. Because where true love lives, freedom flourishes. I pray you feel empowered to become the little lady God created you to be.

I pray you grow up knowing the God of this universe intimately. That you never question how deeply known and truly loved you are by Him. That your identity is rooted, so when tough times come, you can rest knowing you’re secure.

I will undoubtedly fail you in this life, and I pray we give each other the grace needed when failure comes. I pray that in spite of this, you rest confident in your Savior.

You, my little pumpkin, are the greatest joy I’ve ever experienced. I love you. I enjoy you. I am beyond grateful that God chose me to be your mom. Loving you is my favorite thing I’ve ever done.

You will always be worth loving, no matter what.

Love,

Mom