Letter to My Daughter on Her 1st Birthday

Today is my Mallory’s first birthday! I had this vision of doing this post with all beautiful photos, taken with my good DSLR and lens, perfected in Photoshop.

But! I ended up liking the blurry, badly lit, unedited iPhone photos with piles of laundry in the background better. 🙂 So much truer to life, ya know?

Since I am just kind of feeling ALL the nostalgic feelings about her first year, I thought I’d write her a letter, much like the letter I wrote to her before she was born. I hope y’all enjoy!

And happy birthday Mallory Christine! Always sweet and never mean. 🙂

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Dear Mallory,

I am so thankful for your life! Your birth is the distinct bright spot in what was a very difficult year for our family. And I cannot believe that it has been a whole year already!

You are so easy-going and content. You have the sweetest disposition, and I love seeing how sensitive, affectionate and emotionally aware you are already. Amazingly, you already show empathy and concern for others.

I love your curiosity, and I can see all the questions in your eyes.

Your big brother is your hero. Nobody can make you laugh quite like Canon does!

You say only a few words: hi, bye-bye, uh-oh, kick, tickle and War Eagle. 🙂 You also say a whole lot of babble that none of us understand, and it is precious!

There is so much that I want to teach you.

There is so much that I am learning too! If I had to sum it up: don’t waste time trying to live up to others’ expectations of you. Learn to guide yourself by your deepest core values, and ignore all the other BS. Be bold, yet kind.

The world needs your gifts and talents. I can’t wait to see those develop. I hope that you find what you are meant to do, and pursue that with confidence and focus.

I am so glad that God chose me to be your mother. I pray that God helps me to do a good job at it. I love you with all my heart! Happy first birthday Mallory!

Love,

Mom