Darling girl,
It is International Women's Day today. It's a great day to celebrate the achievements of women but it's also a day to raise awareness. All over the world millions of women are still facing hardship, prejudice, injustice, fear, pain and misery on a daily basis. Since I've had a daughter, I think more and more about what the future holds for you, as a girl. There are so many things I worry about, and so many things I want you to avoid. But most of all, there are so many things I wish for you.
I wish for your life to be filled with people who make you stand tall, and those who lift you up when you can't; I wish for there to be sunny afternoons with friends, and rainy days in front of the fire with me; I wish for muddy ankles and wind-whipped cheeks; I wish for shared laughter and shared sorrows; I wish for good days when everything goes your way and you fall into bed satisfied and content; and for bad days, when things are tough, but there is someone at home to hold you and make it better.
I wish for you to know that being kind is cool, and that being popular isn't everything; that working hard at something doesn't make you a nerd, it makes you a genius. I wish for you to always be able to tell me when things are bad and when they're good, and that it's ok if sometimes you don't even know the difference. I wish for you to celebrate the odd ones out, the mavericks, and the outcasts; to be bored by the 'ordinary' and excited by the 'different'.
I wish for you to know how unbelievably beautiful you are, and that this has absolutely nothing to do with the size or shape of anything - except your heart. I wish for you to know that your body is your own, and absolutely no-one else's, and it is totally up to you what you do with it, and when. I wish for you to know that if people really love you, they'll respect the things you say, even if they don't agree with them. And that you'll have the passion and courage to trust your convictions - they are, after all, your convictions.
I wish for an old friend that knows everything about you; and a new friend who is yet to discover you. I wish for big adventures in foreign lands and bold adventures in your own imagination; I wish for singing the words loudly at concerts and being quietly mesmerised in art galleries. I wish for books so loved the spines are cracked and songs played so much you can sing them backwards. I wish for you to experience the joy of running fast down a hill and quickly into the sea; the sheer abandon that comes from jumping into puddles and standing still in the rain.
And I wish for a peaceful world for you to grow up and live your life in; I wish for a planet that can withstand whatever we might carelessly wish do to it; I wish for more people who love, than people who hate; and for more people who are brave, than who are cowards.
And, most of all, I wish for you to know, that whatever happens, I am doing my best, however wonky that might look at times, and that's really all that anyone can do, my darling,
Love Mummy
x
This post previously featured on countrymunchkin.com. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
HuffPost UK is running a month-long project in March called All Women Everywhere, providing a platform to reflect the diverse mix of female experience and voices in Britain today
Through blogs, features and video, we'll be exploring the issues facing women specific to their age, ethnicity, social status, sexuality and gender identity. If you'd like to blog on our platform around these topics, email ukblogteam@huffingtonpost.com