An open love letter to my future daughter – when I sit to write on certain subjects, I just start typing, and for this particular post, this is what spilled out – if it so resonates with you and your own daughters / nieces / cousins / little ladies in your life, then this is for her too…

Dear future daughter,

Where do I begin? I am writing this to you before you’re even born because as much as I am hopeful for your bright and beautiful future I need you to know these things before you’re earth side with me (and you’re amazing dad).

Right now it’s 2017, a pretty crazy time in terms of natural disasters, let’s just say senseless world leaders and threats of nuclear war (but baby girl, don’t you worry about any of that as this world is always going to be safe for you to come in to, I know I don’t even need to tell you that however).

There is something else going on in the world though that I need to rule out of your life before it’s even a thought in that divine intelligent mind of yours – and that is this obsession with social media and self.

This mama always wants you to know that you are not your looks or your body or your likes or your ‘following’.

By the time you’re earth side with your (hilarious and handsome) daddy & I, I can’t promise you what the state of our planet will be in or how much ‘worse’ this obsession to be “liked” and “followed” will be. But know right to your core, that you should never become more concerned with likes on a photo than you are concerned with who you are as a person and how much kindness you bestow to every single person you meet.

It doesn’t matter how many “followers” you have online, what matters is you had the courage to follow your heart every single day and you remained true to who you were.

And my darling heart please, PLEASE don’t you ever think it’s your boobs or your bum or your body you have to put all over your social media to gain attention. No. It’s your brains and your intellect and your compassion you show to humanity in every single moment.

Know that you deserve to be in any room and deserve to hold any company, be it crouched on the floor feeding the homeless, or introducing yourself to the Prime Minister of Australia (your mummy did that so I know you will too). But here is what I want you to know most, is that both of those people deserve the same level of respect and attention and care from you. You need to Love and respect and revere those that have nothing the same as those that (seemingly) have everything.

My commitment to you is reminding you that your worth is not measured by your bra size, or botox or the fact you are an “influencer” online – your worth is measured in the size of your heart, the depth of your love and the reach of your sincere care for just doing your best for yourself and this planet.

My sincerest wish is that you know what real friendship, love and adventure is long before you worry about how popular or liked you are.

My goal for you is that you hear words like how intelligent and extraordinary a spirit you have long before you’re told how ‘beautiful’ you are (although my sweet girl, you are the most beautiful girl on the planet. Fact).

I want you to learn the word phenomenal and contribution before you learn the word ‘pretty’ and ‘gorgeous’ or ‘snapchat’.

The day mummy took this photo to go with this post I had been online and watched back some videos I had taken of myself that morning .. It was 6am, I had been on my run, so looked tired, pale, had greasy hair, no make up on and … well I suppose the word here is … real.

And the thought crossed my mind – “wow Anna, you were brave putting that up!!” And in that moment right there I caught myself, and realised that was the craziest thought in the WORLD to have, and knew this letter had to be written to you angel.

Never do I ever want you to think ‘brave’ is showing up online OR most specifically OFFLINE aka in the real world exactly as who you are. No make up. Greasy hair (because guess what hunny, your hair is going to get greasy), pimples sometimes (because well, hormones babe) and being allowed to just be deeply authentically you.

The real you always deserves to be shown and never deserves to be second guessed.

Life isn’t perfect and you don’t’ have to show up in it perfectly ever.

You just have to be real and do your best.

I won’t ask much from you little one and I promise to always ALWAYS let you dance to the beat of your own drum, but one thing Mummy will insist on is just staying true to who you are, being Compassionate and having courage to be who you were born to be – before the world (or social media) tells you who to be; You’re a super woman not determined by her body or looks but your brains and capacity to love.

No matter who you do become though or what path you take, just know your Dad & I are going to love you madly and unconditionally and always, ALWAYS have your back.

I want you to always know that you are stronger than you’ll ever truly realise, more powerful than you could imagine and being happy hunny, is far more important than being pretty (so ditch feeling like you’ve got to put on the make up if it means you’ll miss the start of a sunrise or sunset)…

And last but not least, I promise mummy will try her BEST to live in to the example I have set out above.

Love you with all my heart and can’t wait to meet you one day (in this lifetime or the next).

Mummy xxx