Day 12 - Daughter

I will keep this label forever.  I think it fitting that I put this label out here on my mother's birthday, where she too became a daughter.

I would like to say I was the only daughter in the family and in a sense I was, but my mother's first child who was still born was a daughter.  They never got a chance to know her.  Then next came my brother and then finally me - another daughter.  I even have my big sister's name as my middle name.  I like that I have that
part of her.  My middle name in turn has become my niece's as well.

Being a daughter to me gives you something that might have been missing.  Usually it's all about the girly things - dolls, ballet, dresses.. etc.  I had all that -but I was also more.  I had the barbies.. lots of them.. I took dance for over 10 years..I wore dresses (but that was the style back then).  But I was out exploring in the country with the guys.  I had a girl friend (who was way more girly than I was) but she moved when I was young and so the only kids to play with in the area were boys.  So tomboy is what I became.  From about age 8 I think until 14, you could not get me back into a dress.   Thankfully that was the 70's and pants were more acceptable.

Being a daughter, and a daughter that never truly fit into her family, makes me more knowledgeable of my daughters.  I want them to know they can come to me with anything good or bad.  I want them to be comfortable with their own skin and know that they're loved for being who they are.  I may push a bit to make them the best they can be at time, but I do it so they know they can keep trying at things and if they don't succeed - it's ok, because they at least tried.

Being a daughter means to me that I am a girl growing into a woman in a family.  That family is to nurture me to the best of my ability. I will always be a daughter and claim this label with pride.