Be The Girl With Light in Her Eyes

Dear Daughter,

It's my mission to have eyes that are alive. And for you to have the same. Sparkling with adventure that most people dream about but very few live.

Eyes that are alive with passion, that see opportunity and not fear. Eyes that clear the path ahead, despite it being overgrown and unworn. Looking through the windshield, instead of the rearview mirror. Not cloudy with the haze of bitterness and exhaustion, but clear and full of intention. Eyes on constant search for ways to make this world just a little bit better.

I pray for eyes that see the truth behind those who lay on the streets in the dead of winter, with blankets and nothing else to keep them safe. That could be any of us. Eyes that don't look away from the mistreatment of those who are different, scared, pained and alone. It's so easy to look away, but impossible to forget what we see. One day, these visions of missed opportunity will return. Don’t look back in regret because of inaction; be the change you wish to see.

I live to have eyes that trust the unknown; that see beauty in the unplanned and the uneventful. The simplest of things that are often overlooked. It's grounding at times, to sit and just listen to the wind. To watch the rain under a tin-roofed porch. To appreciate the grasshopper that crawls across the back of your chair, then reappears hours later, dancing across your computer screen as you attempt to be productive. Don't confuse productivity with being alive; take a few minutes to dance like no one is watching, even when no one is watching. It's what will light the fire in your eyes.

If the world was full of more people with light in their eyes, it would be amazing to see the things we could do. Inspiration, radiating within us; positivity driving change. Hope leading the way on days that we struggle, and love conquering the pain. This is the world I hope you create for yourself, and one I hope to create too.

As Helen Keller said, “to have sight with no vision is worse than being blind”. May you always remember this, and fight to keep the light in your eyes, even on dark days. Your eyes are the window to your soul, and if you're anything like I imagine you to be, your soul is what makes you beautiful. Share this with others; for when you have such a light, it's your responsibility to let it shine.