My sunshine,

you are going to grow older

and your hair will will grow longer

and your mind wiser

and let me just tell you,

you will mess up.

you are going to mess up numerous times,

and just when you think you have learned your lesson,

you will fall into another trap setting you up for what you think is failure.

but my darling,

this is just the beginning.

you see,

what i am just starting to realize,

what i am just starting to learn,

is that these mistakes are just that-

mistakes.

and i've always believed that mistakes are made so you know not to repeat them.

this is false.

i've repeated some of my worst mistakes,

and i am doing just fine.

you are learning from these things that nothing else could ever teach you

you'll learn that whatever happened,

happened.

and that dwelling on it won't change a thing,

so learn from it and own it,

but go ahead and allow yourself to reclaim your peace

i spent far too long hating myself for the things i allowed to happen to me,

(and still to this day I'm trying to love myself,

and it will tear me to pieces if i ever realize you don't love yourself,

because i know how it feels to hate every inch of me and

i couldn't bear the pain to see you in my shoes)

but i am slowly seeing how this is shaping me.

baby doll,

know that i have heard shit left and right talked about me

based on choices that i have made

it hurts.

i am not going to sugar coat it for your fragile heart or delicate ears

you are going to cry yourself to sleep some nights,

heaven knows i still do.

but baby,

what difference does those people's approval or disapproval make to who you truly are?

times like these will let you see who is really on your side.

you will see some of the ones you thought were your best friends,

leave your side

but you'll also find, the friends of your life

the people who honestly don't care about your screw ups,

but instead, care about how you are dealing with them,

and who care if you're all right.

darling i want you to know that you're allowed to scream to your hearts desire,

you're allowed to cry into your pillow silently or burst into tears at the dinner table,

just don't give up.

let it all out,

and then reassure yourself that life is rigged in your favor,

because this world is filled with hate and

filled with people who blatantly want to ruin your day,

but another thing is,

theres always good with the bad.

so take these hateful and rude people,

and know that goodness is on its way because this funny place that we live in is beautiful and always has a way of working things out.

know that it is never,

and i mean this,

never too late to start over.

if you weren't happy with yesterday,

try something new today.

and sweetheart,

know that i will always be sitting here,

waiting for your eyes to meet mine with my arms open wide,

for when you need me to remind you of all of this.