Happy Belated Birthday, Miss Dakota...

My dearest daughter Dakota,

I am sooo sorry that I missed posting a blog on your actual birthday, but I hope you had a wonderful day celebrating your second year of life!!

There are no words I could say in this letter that would be able to express what you are and mean to me. Meeting you for the first time was, hands down, the BEST day of my life. Nothing ever prepared me for the overwhelming love that I have for you. When I first cuddled you in my arms, I knew I had fallen in love for the rest of my life. You are everything to me Dakota. You are my sunshine, my beautiful flower, the light of my life, my everything!

And even though you are only two, you have taught me so much. And I want to thank you for that! Thank you for being my inspiration. For making me want to do good things; even great things! But most importantly you make me want to be good. Because of you I want to be a better person and make the right choices, no matter how hard, and that means being a strong person and a good mother. Every day I give thanks and am grateful for the life that I have with you and Daddy. At this very moment, I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life!

Dakota there are so many things that I hope to teach you, and that you will embrace as your own. Here are just a handful of those things...

“FORGIVENESS” It’s not always easy to forgive when someone has hurt you, but anger and resentment should not be carried. It will make you bitter and cause damage to your physical and emotional health. At worst, it will kill your spirit. Please do not misunderstand, I do not wish for you to be walked on or taken advantage of but I am sure you will be able to recognize and find a balance. Most importantly, you must always forgive yourself. It’s all right to make mistakes, in fact, it is how we learn and grow. And lastly, never EVER burn a bridge, or hold a grudge. Nothing ever good comes of it, and you will ultimately only hurt yourself. Strive to always be the better person and you'll come out on top every time. I promise!

“BELIEVE, BELIEVE, BELIEVE!" There is a whole universe out there and anything is possible. Believe in God, believe in prayer, believe in love, and even magic. I do believe that words have power and even greater power when spoken out loud. It’s making a wish and believing in it with everything in you. Believe in yourself. That means you should always trust your intuition; your fist instincts are usually right. Believing in yourself means that you can do anything you set your mind to. With commitment and hard work you will get where ever it is you want to be and know that nothing great and worth anything is ever easy. Persistence, commitment and perseverance will take you far in life and you can conquer and overcome anything with those three things!

“FAMILY” Family is the very essence of our identity. Family is the most important and should always be put first. Always be proud of your family, if for no other reason, because they are a part of you. They love you unconditionally and support you. They are your “rock “. They are the one’s you can lean on in life.

"RESPECT FOR SELF" First and for most, stay clear of the nay-sayers. Secondly, don’t follow the pack. In other words, be a leader not a follower. Thirdly, have your own ideas and your own mind. Be careful not to get caught up in other’s gossip and misery. Gossip is ugly and empty. Fill yourself up with joy and surround yourself with positive people. I am sure you will get caught up in gossip and drama at some point in your life, the same as I have, but recognize it and run. It too is draining and toxic to your soul. People who don’t care about or respect themselves cannot possibly care for or respect you. Respect the privacy of others. Don’t worry so much about the way other people live their lives, so long as it doesn't affect you. Put that energy into yourself and the things you want out of life. Be positive! Negativity will close more doors, destroy more relationships, and burn more bridges than you'll ever realize.
I hope that you will not need to compete with others. It is a waste of time and energy. In my opinion, it is not a loving or healthy way to be. I believe jealousy to be one of the weakest character traits, so, LOVE YOURSELF! And have the ability to recognize, accept and even admire the beauty in others.
Stand by your convictions. That means I want you to stand up for what you believe in. Also know that everyone is different and others beliefs might be different from yours. Try to have an open mind and always try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes before judging them. Don’t have the need to be perfect (none of us are). Otherwise, it will be hard for you to see your faults and you will hurt people in the process.

“LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE” "Never ever, shrink or downplay yourself so that others around you will not feel insecure or inferior." You are deserving!

"FRIENDSHIP” As a friend it is our job to listen and support, whether we agree or not. It is not our place to judge the choices that other’s make, even if we love them. Others need to learn on their own so that they can grow and find out who they are inside and what it is that will make them happy. People change because life is a constant process and I don’t think it’s ever good to stay at a stand still for too long. Although it can definitely be scary, change is good! Our friends will need us to stand by them, not “kick them when they’re down” or make them second- guess themselves when they are already confused. Also, remember that not everyone has had a loving and supportive family to guide them. So, be a kind, loyal, respectful, honest, forgiving and compassionate friend.

“LITTLE-BIG THINGS” Give thanks, keep your promises, daydream, sing out loud, dance the night away, surround yourself with beauty, use the saying “And this too shall pass”, laugh hysterically! Help the meek, pick your battles, communicate effectively, see things through, set boundaries, and treat people how you want to be treated. Don’t Smoke and never EVER do drugs. Take responsibility for your actions, make a list of things you want to do in life and work toward them! When people are cruel, “kill them with kindness." Fall in love but never with a married man. Know that when we lose someone we love, they become our protectors, our guardian angel.

There are so many more things that I hope to teach you in life, and I will do my best to show you those things and, most importantly, lead by example! But, whether you become everything that I just described or the complete opposite, I will always be proud of you. The fact remain, your life will be what you make of it. And, no matter which life choices you make, I will love you. You are MY DAUGHTER and I will love you forever!!

Dakota I love you with everything that I am. Happy Birthday sweet girl!!

Love, Mommy