A Letter To My Daughter

My Dearest Hanalei,

It seems as if only yesterday you entered this world. I remember holding you for the first time. You, my little one, were so tiny and fragile. You held my finger with your little hand and smiled up at me. The memory of that moment is, for all time to come, etched on my heart.

Dear Hanalei, there are things that I want to share with you today – my experiences and thoughts. Read them whenever you feel low and I am sure that you will be able to find new hope through them.

To begin with, I want you to be whatever your heart wishes you to be.  Don’t imitate anyone else; remain true to your own self.  Don’t pretend to be someone you are not to satisfy other people’s expectations. The world forces us to wear masks at times.  Sadly, overtime we begin mistaking these artificial masks for the faces we had hidden in the past. Don’t let this happen to you, your soul is pure and full of love.  Know that you will always find love it you give love, and remember that we can never run out of love.

Always remember that no one owes you anything. If someone loves you, it is because there is something special in you that touched their hearts and brought them immense joy. As you grow older still, persistently try to find in you that special something and through recognizing and appreciating it, allow it to grow so that more love and friendship come your way.

The world is a beautiful place but often a few things can make it seem harsh. God’s temple is made of love. It is man’s temple that is built of stones. Open your heart to goodness. No matter what happens, don’t let negative people or thoughts take hold of you. The choice between being an optimist or a pessimist will remain right there in front of you. Choose one, choose wisely!

Don’t let the child in you die. As long as you nurture this child within you, you will find happiness and joy in life.

There is a purpose in everything and everyone that comes into your life. Whatever experiences fall your way, strive to find the purpose behind them.  Find the space in your heart and mind to learn a new lesson from every purpose. If you find yourself close to failing at what you started out to do, don’t hesitate to ask for help around you. One who realizes that he is ignorant is ignorant no more!

My dearest  Hanalei, I read somewhere that every man’s life is a fairy tale written by God’s fingers.  There will be times in your life when you will think this is not true; you will feel that your life is too hard to be a fairy tale. At that moment, I want you to remember that fairy tales contain wonder and beauty but also a few bad things.

Each one contains a bad guy, a witch, a cruel queen or king, a monster, a giant, some sort of unpleasantness.  The trick is to conquer this evil slowly, and to know that you have support an love all around you to protect you.  But before conquering those external forces, conquer the fears and monsters hiding in your own heart. Get a grip on the devil inside you and know you have been given the strength to move more than monsters and mountains.

Be bold, be brave and believe in the power of your dreams – the dreams that shine in your lovely eyes like stars will illuminate your way, you are a beam of light that no-one like you has.  Use your light to open pathways you will only see through your eyes, and know that every door that opens for you is the right one and can change at anytime with your will.

It is true that with every passing day, I will grow older and weaker. A day may come when I will become forgetful. But even then, you with your bright smile, will light up my heart.

Be Unstoppable in all you strive for and you will never go wrong.

I love you, my lovely lady Hanalei.

Love, Mom