This has been one of my favorite quotes for pretty much as long as I can remember. I mean, I listed it as a favorite quote on my MySpace page (hi, I’m old!).

Now that I actually *have* a daughter, it’s an even more important quote to me. I look at her and all I see is sheer perfection. Literally nothing is wrong with her. She has bright blue eyes with eyelashes that likely won’t ever need mascara. Her hair is this incredible golden straw color that has volume for days. Her nose is perfect. Her cheeks and lips are unbelievably kissable. Her tiny tummy is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen (especially when it’s full of peanut butter tortilla roll-ups). I mean, seriously. She is objectively the cutest human alive!

But she’s also fierce. Man, that kid is a firecracker. Ain’t nobody gonna tell her what she can or cannot do. If she wants something, she’s going to get it. She’s determined. She’s capable. She’s funny. She’s wicked smart. She’s kind and gentle. She’s brave. She’s everything.

Eventually she’ll grow up and someone will say something mean to or about her (because the world is a harsh place), so I have to do whatever it is I can to vaccinate her against unbecoming self-talk.

I’ve stopped talking about how chubby I am (well, okay, I don’t say it in front of her, but I laugh about my post-partum gut with my husband). I never say the word “diet” in front of her. I will not say that something I’ve said or done is stupid. I won’t talk about feeling lazy. We go on walks every day and eat fresh produce all the time, because these things are important to me and I want them to be important to her. I want her to know that taking care of herself – emotionally, phsyically, spiritually – is something we should do. The best thing I can do to vaccinate her is to treat myself with the same respect I’d expect someone to treat her with. Sometimes, it’s a “fake it til you make it” situation, but eventually it will become my reality and then she and I? Oh, man…watch out, World. We’ve got things to do.