For Becky, The 15 Things I Hope You Do Better Than I Have
1.
Always look people in the eye when you’re
talking to them. Not at your phone, and definitely not at your watch. Let
people know that you are genuinely interested in what they have to say.
2.
No one has it together. I promise, no one. Don’t
live to please everyone else. You be you, all the time, whether that means
being the most innovative surgeon in the nation or waitressing down the street.
3.
Don’t grow up too fast. Be a little girl as long
as you can. Don’t wear make-up or shave your legs too soon. Trust me, it’s all
overrated.
4.
People like to get hung up on the details of
things. My advice: stick to the big picture. It really isn’t our job to choose
what is right and what is wrong. Focus on loving God with all of your heart and
loving others with all of your heart and that should be enough work to last a
lifetime.
5.
Let your dating years be fun. I overheard a girl
talking yesterday about how her boyfriend is so “wise” and “intentional.” Those
are great things, but also remember that laughing until two in the morning is
just as important.
6.
And when it comes time to find Mr. Right, make
sure he loves you more than he loves being in a relationship with you.
7.
Start tithing when you get your first job. If
you’re faithful with the small, it will be so much easier to be faithful with
the big.
8.
This is so silly and I still don’t understand
it, but politics can cause a lot of fights around here. My advice: don’t get
into arguments over them. You aren’t going to change their mind and they aren’t
going to change yours. Believe what you believe and don’t post about it on
Facebook.
9.
Try and treat everyone like you would treat
Jesus. Your best friends, the girl alone at lunch, the homeless man outside of
Walmart, the girl that says mean things about you behind your back.
Everyone.
10. It’s
good to love people that are different from you. Sometimes the world tells us
to run away from differences; I say run towards them. If you don’t get to know
all of God’s children, you’re missing out on a huge part of who He really is.
11. Always
bring a fun game in the car. Your Mommy is the world’s worst at directions. I
promise we’ll get where we’re going eventually, but it may take three hours
when it’s supposed to take an hour and a half. And on that note, I may be the
world’s worst at a lot of things at first (or my whole life), but know that
I’ll never stop trying to be the best I can be for you. Never. So be patient
with me.
12. Write
hand-written thank you notes. And it doesn’t have to just be for gifts. Thank
the people that got you where you are.
13. When
you do start to wonder how you ended up with me, know that I will be there to
hold your hand. Also know that if I had the choice, I would take back every
hurtful thing that brought you to me. But on that same note, you are my angel on earth. I have never been so thankful that God brought someone in my
life.
14. A
lot of people don’t understand adoption. Kids may ask mean questions. But
always know this: God took a clueless, sheltered, small-town loving girl 5, 048 miles away from her home, and
then 5 hours out into a tiny village to find you. He has raised thousands of
dollars to get me to you. He has worked out timelines and moved relationships
so that I get to you. Never doubt we were brought together for a purpose.
15. Know
I’ll always be your biggest fan. Always.
