A Letter to My Daughters

Dear girls:

The two of you lovely young ladies have been the greatest gifts I received in my short life of 34 years living on this Earth. With each one of you, I’ve had a unique experience but no matter the difference in timeline, I seek that you enjoy a prosperous life however you see fit. 

I would like to take this opportunity to share some honest thoughts, mother to child, n hopes that it may help guide you on your own journey in life. An opportunity that I yearned for my own mother to are. A missed opportunity that I swore I would never miss. 

I have instilled many beliefs and values that I feel were necessary to get you ready for he world outside of our home. 

Our little home that took sometime to build, but we made together. 

The day we got the keys to our. New home was the happiest I have ever been. The feeling of relief for us having a safe place to call home. 

The loud echoing laughter from each of your smiling faces. The high pitched squealing bounced off the walls of the empty house. 

Excitement was in the air. 

There was a moment within the excitement where I felt ashamed from the amount of time that it took to get to that moment. A place of our own. 

My inner critic taunting me that this should of happened a long time ago. 

You see girls, in all of us, we have an inner critic that makes us feel ashamed and feel negative towards ourselves which can be very painful but it can transform you if you channel it towards growth. 

It’s important for us to take accountability for our mistakes and prideourselves to do better then the last time. That day I stopped my inner critic from sabotaging that moment of happiness by acknowledging the choice that I made to finally stop the vicious cycle of domestic violence. 

I reminded myself the strength that it took for me to fight back with every ounce of my body and not give up on myself or you. 

I reminded myself of the courage it took to file the paperwork to file the restraining order and deal with institutions that I was afraid would take you away. 

I reminded myself of the motivation it took to ignore my mother’s negative comments and constant criticism to save up enough to rent a house. 

Now here I am, on this couch that we watch movies with popcorn and candy that we picked up from the market across the street. 

With the little fire place that holds pictures and souvenirs from the places we traveled together over the past couple years. 

The walls present the canvas paintings that you’ve created and the walls have paint stains that I cherish because it’s art to me.