Dear Elizabeth

Dear Elizabeth Faith,

Today you are finally DOUBLE DIGITS. A whole decade old. 10 years ago you made me a mommy. I will never forget looking into your eyes and knowing I was meant to be a mom and my heart was so full of love for you. I also knew that nothing else I did in life was ever going to be more important than being your mom.

I know it seems like I am trying to always give you advice or telling you what to do. Remember though it’s my job to raise you, discipline you, guide you, and love you. I won’t ever stop loving you. Not when you roll your eyes, have a messy room, or anything. I will ALWAYS love you more than anything else.

I love watching you grow up and you are turning into such a beautiful young lady. Your laugh is contagious and has always made me smile. Sometimes I just sit and watch you singing at the top of your lungs into your iPod making a Musically and my heart just overflows with pride. I’m so thankful and blessed you are mine.

I wanted to write you and give you some more advice on your tenth birthday. I know our days ahead are going to be hard and we are headed into the dreaded teenage years. But I want you to know that I am always on your side. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, I am always looking out for what’s best for you. Please take this advice and always use it to help guide you in life.

#1. Don’t be afraid to “BE YOU”.

I love walking into your room to see that you have written BE YOU all over your whiteboard. I want you to always remember to be true to yourself. As you get older, you’re going to want to do your hair, make-up, and nails. While this is fine, please don’t forget to “be you.” Have fun, be silly, don’t sit on the sidelines and just watch your life. Experience EVERY moment and don’t worry about what others think of you. If a boy is going to like you, he will like you at your best and worst, so “be you.” And have fun while you do it!

#2. Cover your body.

You are beautiful and you were blessed with your momma’s long legs and your papa’s deep dimples. While this is a great thing, don’t flaunt it. I know it’s hard to cover your body when the styles say otherwise, but remember your body is special. God created you different from anyone else and you are beautiful. Don’t give anyone a preview of your body. Treasure yourself and remember you can be stylish without uncovering that treasure.

#3. Use your Bible.

Your Bible is your best weapon. When you feel sad, discouraged, angry, happy, confused, mad, always turn to your Bible. There are so many things you can learn through the Bible. There are lots of stories of people that have went through the same things that you are going or going to go through! Learn from them and read those stories over and over. You will find that Jesus wins every time! Life is tough and you will go through many difficult times. Get in the habit now of reading your Bible, talking to God, and going to church. I am thankful Granny and Papa Tim taught me at a young age that the Bible has all the answers I will ever need in life. Also, I should praise God through the good times and through the bad times. I hope to pass this on to you and your sister as well.

#4. Choose your “circle”.

You will NEVER please everyone in your life. Learn that now at 10 years old to save yourself a lot of heartache. I still as a 32 years old try my best to make others happy before focusing on myself. Don’t do this! Choose about 3-5 people that REALLY care about you that you know will always be there for you. Then, when someone makes you mad or upset, ask yourself if they are in your circle or not. If they aren’t, don’t worry about it. If they are in your circle, you probably need to learn from them and listen to what they are saying. Even if it hurts. That is how we become better people. Be kind to everyone, but know that in life you just won’t be everyone’s best friend.

#5. Don’t ever give up.

Life is fixing to get hard{er}. Math is hard. Cheer is hard. Friends are hard. Getting told no is hard. Getting older is hard.

But I don’t ever want you to give up.

Don’t try to be strong. Your daddy and I are here to help you. When you’re tempted to quit, take a deep breath and step away from the situation for a minute. Ask for help! Run some laps. Go for a swim. Listen to your iPod. Do something else, just don’t give up.

I love you sweet girl. I always will. Remember to always love God and be true to yourself. Let your light shine and show this world how awesome you are. The experiences you have in your life are unique to you. Good or bad, they are yours, nobody else’s. You get to choose what you will do with them.

I am leaving you with one of my favorite verses from the Bible. I hope it encourages you to always remember what’s important in this life.