Earlier today Amelie had the craziest like 30 minute long emotional meltdown that really tested my sanity. Over a Hello Kitty towel. By the end of it I was stress eating my second sleeve of the day of girl scout cookies and googling articles on child hood emotional disorders. Eventually I just hugged her and she magically stopped.
I really cant tell that she fits the profile for any emotional disorders, but watching her today it really hit me what a little firestorm that girl is. She is so intense sometimes. And determined. And she has such a hard time adjusting to all the injustices of the world, and sometimes just flat out refuses to accept them. She is just like me. And that scares the crap out of me.
There is this quote that basically outlines 3 types of people: those who learn by reading, those who learn by observing and then there are those who must pee on the electric fence. I myself have peed on many an electric fence. Its just who I am. And it is a horrible way to learn, but an arguably effective one.
You see, I really dont want to watch my daughter do all that. I want so bad to tell her everything I have learned so she can just skip it all. Things like:
1. Do not worry so much about if people like you or base your self esteem off the approval of others. Find approval within yourself. That is what actually matters.
2. Do not accept it when people treat you like shit. People treat you how you let them. Do not be afraid to walk away from shitty relationships, toxic friendships or jobs where there is no mutual respect between you and your superiors. You are worth more. Find that worth within yourself and set boundaries and when they are crossed get your shit and go. You will be better off for it.
3. Always buy shoes at the end of season clearance for the next year. You will save so much money.
4.If you are going to get a tattoo, take some time and make sure it actually means something. Do not walk into a tattoo parlor because you are bored and you just turned 18 and pick something out of the book because it looks kind of cool.
5.Thin mint girl scout cookies have like way less calories than the rest of them so you can eat twice as many.
6. Do not fear change. Sometimes there is so much pain that change is the only way out. Change is how you learn and grow and become who you are meant to be.
7. Realize that you are so important and that those sad thoughts in your head are not to be lingered on. You have a purpose and a role and even though we are so small we all have our part to play in life. We all matter.
8. Let the little shit go. Just let it go. Its not important.
9. Babies dont sleep much so make sure you dont care to do that for awhile when you have them.
10. Always be humble. Always. If you are not humble then life will put you in your place.
11. Be very kind to the people beneath you. You will need them to save your ass one day.
12. Most importantly, no matter what anyone says to you: You is kind. You is smart. You is important.
And this is what I wish for my daughter to learn. So maybe she can be one of those who learn by reading?
