Letters to London: Jill of All Trades

Baby Girl,
You should know something about your mom. I am not "good" at a lot of things. I am proficient at quite a few things, but I'm not the expert sewer or crafter or photographer or ... anything really. I'm not great at doing hair or makeup, or picking out stylish outfits. I'm not the resident Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint go-to at work. I don't make gourmet meals or keep an immaculate house or send out thank you notes as quickly as I should. But I'd like to think I'm well-rounded, and I'd like to think you will be too. Between me and your daddy, we have a lot going on that we can pass along to you. And you can be better than either of us at any of these things, which is awesome.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want you to pave your own way. I want you to be well-rounded and learn a little about a lot of things. I want you to take dance lessons and play on a soccer team and sing in the choir at church. And then, if after a year you decide you don't like any of those things, I want you to try out for basketball and learn how to sew and twirl a baton. I want you to find what works for you, not because your mama or daddy did it or like it or want you to. That can be a lot of things or that can be one thing. But stick with it - don't give up on your violin lessons because you don't get first chair, and don't give up on playing softball because you don't make the team.

Do something because you love it, and eventually you will be good at it. Or not, but hey - you love it, and you're having fun, so what does it matter?

There might be times when you feel like we're pressuring you to keep doing something you don't want to do, and I'm sorry if you ever feel like that, but if there's one thing your dad will not do, it's allow his little girl to be a quitter. So if you come home from cheerleading* practice and you don't want to go anymore because you weren't placed in the front row of the competition routine, tough luck kiddo. You'll go back the next day and the day after that because a) you won't always be the best, and b) you aren't going to let down your team. And then, at the end of the season, if you decide you really want to start learning how to do rhythmic gymnastics or synchronized swimming or something, then we can chat.

This was a bit of a random one, but I love you all the same,
Mom

*disclaimer: the jury is still out on whether or not London will be allowed to cheer. I know the evils of competitive cheerleading, and the baby prostitutes it produces, and the injuries that ensue, so I'm going to have to think long and hard about it if that's something she shows an interest in.