A Different Ten

This is for my daughter on her tenth birthday.
A lot of men say they can't understand women.  Often they say it with a sort of disgust or exasperation, but I say it as an expression of wonder.  I have a mother, a sister, a wife and various other women in my life, but you, my baby girl, have caused me to re-think everything I think I know about all of them.  You have made me a feminist, because I look at the world around me and I realize that it is no way, shape, or form, good enough for my little girl.  I am sorry for both of my children that those who have come before you have nothing better to offer you than this sadly unjust, violent and polluted world.  I have tried to give you a childhood that is filled with beauty, discovery and plenty of time to wonder at things, but sooner than I would like I will be sending you out into a world where you, especially daughter, will be objectified and undervalued.  People will try awfully hard to convince you that you're not absolutely wonderful.
I'm not writing this for the ten year old you, I'm thinking ahead.  I'm writing this for the twenty-something you, because that's when you'll need to hear this.  I want you to know that your Dad knew what was coming, and that he knew he couldn't protect you from everything, but he was willing to rage and try.
Remember:
You are beautiful no matter what you look like.
You are intelligent, even if you feel confused.
You are wonderful, even when you are silly.
You are worth it, by any standards.
You are enough.

Never: 
Give yourself away for anything less than love.
Hold yourself back from something that is worth loving.
Take the journey just for the destination.
Forget to appreciate where you are now.

Always:
Look before you leap.
Once you look don't be afraid to leap.
Get up after you fall down.
Read a lot.
Love until your heart breaks.
Love more.

Know: 
Mom and I love you more than anything.
You are a Child of God.
You are made of stars.
You shine like the sun.

Forget and Forgive:
Insults.
Betrayals.
Rejections.
Gossip.

Hold:
Your dignity.
Your dreams.
Your empathy.
Your grace.
Your truth.

Let Go:
Of mean words.
Of mean people.
Of clutter.
Of grudges.
Of broken dreams.

Now you might not even know what I'm talking about, because you're ten, and because I have been able to keep you safe from many things. But the world is big, and wonderful, and dangerous, and you need to see it.  Aside from love, words are the most valuable thing I can give you.
Take these with you.