A Letter to My Daughter

My Dearest Khloe’,

           

            It seems like just last week I was holding you as you were snuggled so tight in your hospital blanket wearing your little pink beanie; so fragile. Tears rolled down my cheeks as you stared up at me and made eye contact with me for the first time. It was like a piece of my soul was given to you in that moment. We would forever be a part of one another even when we couldn’t be together, physically.

Long distance relationships can be the ultimate test of love and commitment. Sure, times are different now than they were before the luxuries of telecommunication, Skype and email, when people actually put pen to paper and mailed letters, a nearly forgotten art in our world today. Couples that try to keep the flame burning whilst living miles and miles away from each other. The test of long distance love between husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend can be very demanding, but a greater test than between the love of a father and daughter; there is none.

Throughout the past three years of your life we have been apart more than I care to admit. Through deployments, separations between your mother and I and other military obligations, our love has never faded and our bond has never been broken. It hurts and I may not always be there, but I hope that one day this letter will find you and help you to make perfect sense of all of this. I don’t know what the future holds for you, as everyone has their own paths in life that they must follow but what I do know is that in this letter are a few of the things that I’ve learned about life.

Appreciate the small things. In life it’s the small things that matter most, those little things that most people forget about or take for granted. When they happen, you’ll know and it’s important that you fully appreciate them because, one day, you may look back and wonder where the time went and those little moments will fade into memory. Its not the flashy cars or expensive clothes, it’s knowing that the clothes on your back are more than they seem and that there are people out there that don’t get to put on fresh clothes every morning when they wake up. Focus on the positive. The world is a cruel and dangerous place sometimes, but don’t always focus on the negative things in life because the world also has a beauty in it that takes a keen eye to see. When you experience the world’s beauty, take it in, soak in it and let it be a part of you. Take risks. As mean as the world can be, know that its ok to make yourself vulnerable and take risks from time to time because if you don’t, you will never grow as a person and you will never learn from your mistakes. Fall in love. Don’t be afraid to fall in love but remember to keep your guard up and only open your heart to the ones that deserve it most. Know that your heart will get broken, but you’ll be ok, I promise. I know it hurts and you’ll surely feel lost and confused, but time will pass and you will look back and realize that you weren’t as in love as you thought you were. Have faith. When you feel lost have faith and let God take you by the hand and guide you. He will never lead you astray. When you feel like you’re at rock bottom, turn to God. He will help. But also remember to be thankful and to thank God every day for the opportunities that He has given you. Focus on your happiness. Remember to concentrate on your own happiness and don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough or that you can’t do something because, ultimately, no one or no thing will ever be good enough for you! No one out there, other than me, is going to go out of their way to make things happen for you better than you yourself. Go for it! When you find something in life that you’re passionate about, pursue it and make it happen. Don’t stop when it gets too tough because nothing worth having in life comes easy. Hard work and dedication will always yield positive results and remember that if you find something you love doing, you’ll never work a day in your life. Be true to yourself. Never try to pretend to be someone else in order to make an impression. Always be yourself and let people fall in love with who you are because, in the end, people will always show their true colors. Let your true colors be the first thing they see.  Everything happens for a reason. Always remember that things happen, good and bad. People will come in and out of your life every day. It’s important to remember that everything happens for a reason and that you can’t always change fate. With that said, however, when you find something worth holding on to don’t let go of it even if it alters your own fate.

Stay positive and always remain a child at heart because in your heart is where you will always find true happiness. No matter what remember that when times get tough, it’s okay and that you’ll always be my Khloebear.

                                                Love,

                                               Daddy