Dear Rachel: 1 YEAR

Dear Rachel,

My sweet daughter, we have reached the first milestone. I have almost no adjectives for how awesome you are! Silly, adorable…they don’t seem to describe. So intuitive and smart. You wave “hi” and “bye bye.” You walk now. 6 or 7 steps, I count it. You love food, but what else is new?

I kiss your neck and you laugh and laugh. I make faces you recognize. You shake your head “no” at me and then do it anyway. I don’t know what else I could have possibly been expecting – you are your mother’s daughter, after all. A rebel.

I hope you are. I hope you always question authority. I hope you challenge yourself. May you develop your own opinions of the world. May you fight for what you believe in. May you fight for the ones you love. Be an artist. Be an academic. Be a warrior. Be a feminist. Be. You. Argue with the people you don’t agree with. Defend the ones you do.  Be outspoken.  Be (a little) obnoxious. And definitely be weird; normal is boring…

And know that Daddy and I are on your side no matter what.

I have no idea who you are yet. But I hope that I instill the proper values, that I give you some sort of moral compass. You inspire me every day to be a better person. I didn’t know why I was here, until I knew what I would die for. It was all you… every day of my life.

Love,
Mommy