If I have a daughter,

If I have a daughter

she will never play with Barbie dolls

or kitchen sets,

and I will make sure she knows that she is beautiful in every way

I will teach her to want to change the world

because as idealistic and impractical as that sounds,

she may just end up changing someone’s life

as an unintentional consequence

I’ll teach her to walk through life like a museum

and take long pauses just to stand still and stare

with wonder

at something beautiful,

to see God in everyone and everything

I will teach her to brush off the chips on her shoulder

so that nothing ever holds her back

or anchors her down

I’ll teach her the value of respect

first and foremost, for herself

I will teach her that life is a blessing in disguise,

that it will only throw walls that she can break down

I’ll teach her that ignorance is a raging war,

and she must always be armed with an education

and an open mind

I will teach her to consume knowledge like it’s her job,

be loud and opinionated,

and challenge her every belief

I’ll teach her that love is like skipping stones

so she must spread it wherever she goes

I will teach her that the world is much, much bigger

than anything she could possibly hold in her hands

and there is no such thing as the meaning of life,

but rather that she must find her own meaning in life

I’ll teach her to raise hell

and dance

and to laugh uncontrollably

And I will teach her that no matter where life will take her,

Or how much it tries to break her,

I will always be home.