Dear Rebecca,
Don't ever let them get you down. You are funny, charming, and smart as a whip. Your laugh is infectious. You are creative, artistic and talented. You're a wonderful artist and a wonderful writer. You are generous, warm and loving. You are caring. You are wise beyond your years. You are beautiful. You'll do well in life and you'll go far. You have so much to offer. You amaze me.
As you're learning life is not easy. As we get older our obstacles get harder. Our challenges are never so large we cannot handle them though they can often seem that way. Girls can be mean. You know this and have known this for a long time. Mean girls are tough. Mean girls are mean. Mean girls stink. But mean girls never get far. For long -- at least.
Don't let them get you down. Don't be mean to them. If you think you're troubles are too large seek out help. Either a teacher or a parent. It's okay to lean on friends. It's okay to lean on teachers. It's okay to lean on me. Stand up. Be strong and proud. Words, though they may hurt are only words. And most likely they are untruths. Do not listen to what they are saying. Listen to yourself. To your inner voice. You know the truth.
I'll tell you this - mean girls don't change. They never grow up. In the end they never get very far either. Mean girls suck. Yes, I said suck! You are better than they are. Don't ever let them get you down as hard, as that may seem. Walk tall and walk proud. Hold your head up high. As well as your chin. Stand up straight. (You'll look taller!) Do not give in to them or sink to their level. And those who do are just weak. They are confused. And lost.
But you are not.
Growing up is tough and no one ever said it was easy. You are learning to figure things out for yourself. You are learning to handle things on your own. Sometimes you'll get it and sometimes you won't. That's ok. We're here to help. You won't always have the right answers. We never do. You'll make mistakes. We all do. We'll never learn without our mistakes. Mistakes are important. They do lead us to the right answers. Make mistakes and make them often. But never so that they will hurt you or anyone around you.
You are caring and thoughtful and conscientious. This is the big sister in you. You respect others. We have taught you well. You respect yourself. Now you need to learn to believe in yourself. This is the hardest part of growing up. Sometimes we do not learn how to do this until we are much older. (I mean really, really old -- like my age!) But listen to what the good people have to say. They are right.
Let me tell you something about mean girls. They are jealous of you. They are insecure. They have not learned right from wrong. The only way they feel good is to make others feel badly about themselves. Mean girls are not cool and are not popular. They never will be. They will never be you. Open and honest and funny. And loved by everyone.
It seems unfair to say that this too shall pass. It will. But right now and in the moment it sucks and you wish that it would pass. I know another thing about you. With your large and warm and kind heart you are forgiving. While the pain of yesterday may seem unbearable... unsurmountable, today is a new day. It is a gift. That is why they call it the present.
I love you.
Love Mommy, XOXO
Ps. I saw this and thought of you. It made me laugh. I thought it would make you laugh. (There's a bad word in it though!)
Don't ever let them get you down. You are funny, charming, and smart as a whip. Your laugh is infectious. You are creative, artistic and talented. You're a wonderful artist and a wonderful writer. You are generous, warm and loving. You are caring. You are wise beyond your years. You are beautiful. You'll do well in life and you'll go far. You have so much to offer. You amaze me.
As you're learning life is not easy. As we get older our obstacles get harder. Our challenges are never so large we cannot handle them though they can often seem that way. Girls can be mean. You know this and have known this for a long time. Mean girls are tough. Mean girls are mean. Mean girls stink. But mean girls never get far. For long -- at least.
Don't let them get you down. Don't be mean to them. If you think you're troubles are too large seek out help. Either a teacher or a parent. It's okay to lean on friends. It's okay to lean on teachers. It's okay to lean on me. Stand up. Be strong and proud. Words, though they may hurt are only words. And most likely they are untruths. Do not listen to what they are saying. Listen to yourself. To your inner voice. You know the truth.
I'll tell you this - mean girls don't change. They never grow up. In the end they never get very far either. Mean girls suck. Yes, I said suck! You are better than they are. Don't ever let them get you down as hard, as that may seem. Walk tall and walk proud. Hold your head up high. As well as your chin. Stand up straight. (You'll look taller!) Do not give in to them or sink to their level. And those who do are just weak. They are confused. And lost.
But you are not.
Growing up is tough and no one ever said it was easy. You are learning to figure things out for yourself. You are learning to handle things on your own. Sometimes you'll get it and sometimes you won't. That's ok. We're here to help. You won't always have the right answers. We never do. You'll make mistakes. We all do. We'll never learn without our mistakes. Mistakes are important. They do lead us to the right answers. Make mistakes and make them often. But never so that they will hurt you or anyone around you.
You are caring and thoughtful and conscientious. This is the big sister in you. You respect others. We have taught you well. You respect yourself. Now you need to learn to believe in yourself. This is the hardest part of growing up. Sometimes we do not learn how to do this until we are much older. (I mean really, really old -- like my age!) But listen to what the good people have to say. They are right.
Let me tell you something about mean girls. They are jealous of you. They are insecure. They have not learned right from wrong. The only way they feel good is to make others feel badly about themselves. Mean girls are not cool and are not popular. They never will be. They will never be you. Open and honest and funny. And loved by everyone.
It seems unfair to say that this too shall pass. It will. But right now and in the moment it sucks and you wish that it would pass. I know another thing about you. With your large and warm and kind heart you are forgiving. While the pain of yesterday may seem unbearable... unsurmountable, today is a new day. It is a gift. That is why they call it the present.
I love you.
Love Mommy, XOXO
Ps. I saw this and thought of you. It made me laugh. I thought it would make you laugh. (There's a bad word in it though!)
