To My Unborn Child
This poem was inspired by a Twitter Trending Topic. It is a work in progress. It made me think about what I wanted not only for my child, but for everyone in the world, including myself. I hope you enjoy.
To My Unborn Child
To the person that God has planned, but not yet created, and who I have yet to see: these are my hopes for you.Love your family. Love God above everything else. Love your country. Love life. It's the most important, most beautiful thing you will ever get for free.Love sports. Let me specify, love basketball. Especially Carolina basketball.Listen to music. All kinds of music. Happy music. There is a song for everything. Enjoy it all. Listen to the sound of your heart.Learn what it means to speak up; not to justify or criticize, or talk to hear the sound of your own voice (although you should love your voice). I mean speak up, say something that matters about things that matter. Share your ideas.Know that it's ok to find beauty where others see ugliness. To be yourself, to drive down your own road, in your own car, singing your own song. You are the only person who knows how to be you.Know that love is simple to feel, but complicated to understand. It is essential to life. The word is overused, but it should be used often. You should say it many times, as many times as you smile, maybe as many times as you laugh. As long as you really mean it, it's ok. Don't rush love, take it slow. Because when it comes - and you will know when it comes - everything will seem like gold.Respect nature. We have one world, and its wonders are vast. You may travel far, you may not. But nothing is more serene than a hot day on the beach, a cool sunny day in your favorite park. A rainy morning when steam rises from the street...Oh my unborn child, there is no feat you can't conquer, no reason to be afraid, and a world that needs your love. I want you to work hard. I want you to take pride in what you do. I want you to have fun. I want you to follow your destiny, your ordered steps. I want you to know there is no reason to ever be depressed because everything happens for a reason, and when God's hand is on your life, there is no such thing as a mistake.I want you to find something worth dying for, and then live your life to the fullest in the name of it.I want you to embrace the unknown. To accept that you will learn from the moments when you seemed lost. I want you to know that good memories can come from bad decisions, and so do the best lessons. Listen to those who try to help you.Do the things you are afraid to do, because I never want you to live life with regrets. Doubt is just a device to hold you back in fear of failure. God didn't make you to fail.There are some things in life that can never be put into words. Those are the things you should cherish.Behind every smile there was once heartache, behind every laugh there was once a tear. You never know what someone is going through, so make it a point to be a beacon of light for all you meet. Because you will meet a lot of people. Some will leave deep impressions on your heart. Some will love you, some will hate you, some will forget things you will always remember. Each of them will contribute to who you become. Stick with the people who make you better.Most importantly, I want you to know that I will always love you, that nothing would ever make me stop loving you. This world is brilliant, and so are you. Don't let it scare you, let no one intimidate you. You will have great days and bad moments, you will lose someone you thought would always be there. Don't get discouraged.Trust, because you have to. Pray, because you need to. Cherish your friends. Remember your past, dream for your future, and never let the beauty of the present escape your heart, for the here and now is all we have to judge the time, and time is way too fast.You get one chance at life, one opportunity to love someone. One shot to make this moment, this minute, count. Your life right now is a blank canvas, and everything you do is a stroke, a splash of color. Find your art, and make this masterpiece of your life worth viewing.Never ever stop praying. Never stop believing. Dream every day of your life.When you think you can't do something look to the sky. See the colors of the rainbow and know that you are more capable than your mind lets on. Stay naive to the impossible and run. Run until you fly. When you dream it, work for it. If you want it, get it. If you need it, pursue it. No one ever won a race standing still.Unborn child, if I only had one word to give you, I know what it would be. Tattoo this word on your heart:GO© 2012 Candace Howze"Life is divine chaos. Embrace it. Forgive yourself. Breathe. And enjoy the ride..."