If I have a daughter
to share my hands with in tightly woven spaces…
I will tell her all of the do’s
and none of the don’ts.
All of the cans
and none of the can’ts.
I will tell her to keep her brain peaceful
and her heart soft.
To stand as though she is being protected by a golden sphere of light
and held up firmly by the ashes of ancestors beneath her feet.
I will paint her room with the colors of all the flags
to keep her arms expansive
and her spirit accepting.
We will create in the kitchen together
with her eyes closed when tasting spices
to keep her senses sharp.
Traditions will be chosen by us, not for us.
And there will Always be music for dancing and singing.
I will be there for her when she scrapes her knees to tell her
she is a warrior.
And when she gets her heartbroken to tell her again that
she is a warrior.
I will tell her that heartbreak makes us more pliable if we let it.
It gives our eyes an opportunity to look within
instead of always looking out.
And she will learn that loss is not the dichotomy of love,
but that they are a cliff dive
swimming in the waters below together
and the suns glitter on the waters surface is what makes the jump
so Dreamy.
There may be suffering that brings her to her knees
but she will always feel me by her side.
And she’ll remember the resolution found in a walk outdoors,
Walking on the balls of her feet only in emergencies,
because she’ll remember how we always walked lightly
in the forest
along the babbling brooks of laughter.
She will learn to encase the hardships with a crystalline substance
that forms pearls.
And she will know that the world is her oyster,
because baby girl it is.
This life is all in how you create it to be
and those pearls were meant to be shared.
And when things feel unjust
we will find activism in the community around us.
And we will find bravery in ambition
and strength in vulnerability
as we soar high and dive deep into this thing called Life
pulled together by the magnetism that I like to call God.
Because my daughter,
my daughter,
will grow up in a house without mirrors.
Learning to see herself through the eyes of a loved one,
the eyes of a Beloved.
And I will teach her to surrender to her beauty,
to her power,
and responsibilities
of manifesting the fabric of her existence.
I will show her that what you can see is only as big as you allow your eyes to open.
Open to that bright,
life giving sun
that we will praise together in the deliverance of our earthly contribution
by taking no more than we need
and giving from a place of abundance.
I will teach her not to cause harm to others, not because she shouldn’t,
but because Love is a stronger force than hate,
and our hands were made for healing.
I will show her how to dance under the moon
and how to get lost in the
shadows
if only to learn how to birth her own fire.
I will show her that there are no tears that can surmount the yielding of gratitude.
For if we are grateful
there is no longer room for longing.
But most of all,
my darling,
I will show you the capacity of Love.
The richness of the hearts resilience.
You are me.
And beyond me.
You are one.
And you are the whole.
There is a universe inside you,
and the only don’t I will ever tell you is – baby
Don’t be afraid of all your light.
You are unconditionally loved.
Latest posts by Emma Penelope (see all)
- If I Have a Daughter - February 16, 2017