My darling daughter,

It’s hard to believe that in just a few weeks’ time you’ll be here.

Wanting to be a mother is something I have longed for and dreamed of for such a long time and it’s been a long journey to get here. Please know how wanted you are and how lucky your dad and I feel to be your parents.

The moment I found out you were a girl not only cemented my commitment to doing my bit to create a world that is equal for women, but also created a bit more fight in me. I have been thinking a lot about the girl and woman you will become and my hopes for the world in which you will grow up.

There is so much I want for you, my darling girl. I want you to do, feel, contribute, accept, be kind and be compassionate. I want you to be bold and to find many things that you love about yourself.

It’s my hope that you’ll grow up in a world where you not only feel completely equal – but are completely equal – because of the women who have fought for your rights for decades. I want you to get paid equal for equal work. Should you have your own babies, I don’t ever want you to worry that taking time off work will hold you back, and I want you to have a partner who will take equal responsibilities for raising those babies.

My girl, I want you to fall in love often and when someone shows you who they are, I want you to believe them. Remember the love of your life doesn’t have to be that first love you gave your heart to, it doesn’t even have to be romantic. It might be a girlfriend or a sibling or even your dog. Love is messy, complicated and wonderful and completely unique to you and your experience.

I want you to know that sometimes the world can be unkind and unfair. You will fall and stumble but I know that you will get back up and learn from those setbacks. Know that when things don’t go your way or feel really hard, the best thing to have around you is girlfriends. So work hard at building a circle of girls who love you, and tell you the truth. They will become part of your soul, and gosh I want that for you.

Most of all, what I want for you always is to have hope. No matter what life presents, I want you to have enough love in your heart to always remain hopeful. Tomorrow is another day, my darling.

A smart woman once told me, “don’t let the light that’s on you shine brighter than the light that’s within you”.

That piece of advice is one I’ve taken and applied to so much of my life and it’s exactly what I want for you; for the light within you to shine bright, and for you to embrace a life that is meaningful for you.

I can’t wait to meet you. Hurry up already!

Love,

Mum

PS I might be bad at this motherhood thing, so bear with me.

This letter was first published in Business Chicks Premium magazine Latte 

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