For those of you who have read my blog before, you probably remember Becky. I am absolutely in love with every child at the orphanage I have been visiting for the past three years and will do everything in my power to show them that are loved beyond belief, but I feel a special call to take care of this sick little three-year-old girl. My college years have been incredible and I have met people that I will call my best friends for my entire life, but I also miss this little one every single day. My dream is to be "Mommy" to orphaned children, and I write these blogs so that they are able to look back and realize that God placed them in my heart far before they ever realized.

  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.