Do as I say, not as I do.

When you become a parent, you experience more feelings at once than ever before. For me the most prominent emotions were pride, happiness and worry. Pride overcame me as soon as my baby cried his first cry. I was so proud of the amazing little life I created and gave birth to. I was proud that my husband was standing there smiling like never before and I was proud that we get to call that beautiful boy ours. I was proud that my husband and I could finally call ourselves parents.

Happiness was all around me and has never left. I was so happy that my baby was healthy and perfect. I was happy to see my whole family welcoming the newest member and I was happiest because I finally got to see what those 10 long months of being pregnant created. I got to feel my baby on my skin instead of pushing on my bladder and that was the happiest day of my life.

Lastly, I felt worry because this perfect little being was no longer inside me. I knew I could no longer protect him from everything the world will throw his way and the pain that will inevitably find him and his heart. I worried because of the irrational thoughts that eventually hit you once your life’s main purpose becomes caring for someone else’s.

That all being said, I can’t remember a life without him. He’s almost three and everything from before I was pregnant no longer matters. The memories and nostalgia are sometimes great to look back on but nothing could ever compare to the emotions that having a child has brought me. As soon as I found out I was having a baby I began dreaming, hoping and thinking of all this life would offer to him and what kind of person he would be. I couldn’t help myself but to think of all the different opportunities I want him to be given and his hopes to be fulfilled and everything else my mind could think up.

Which leads me to the point of this blog, I have a few wishes/advice for my child and any future children I may have.

1.    Embrace Life. No matter what you’re dealing with you have to make it through and the easiest way of doing that is embrace every aspect of any situation you find yourself in. Life gets hard sometimes, embrace the struggles because you have so many good times waiting around the corner.

2.    Smile. Life is so much better when you put a smile on. Even on days it seems impossible, fake it until you make it.

3.    Cherish every moment. Time flies and it might not seem that way when you’re young, but the moments pass way too quickly and you won’t notice until you’re looking back on them with nostalgia in your heart.

4.    Choose wisely. Doors will open and close on your journey of life, choose each path wisely. There will always be a time for you to act on a whim or to be brash with your decisions, but when picking your path, use all your wisdom. Think before acting, feel before speaking.

5.    Stay alert, stay alive. Pay attention because it could be the smallest thing you overlooked that can throw you for a loop.

6.    Be safe, be smart. This is not to say you won’t do dumb things sometimes, but never put yourself in a situation that you can’t get out of. Never let yourself be stuck where you feel unsafe or stuck. Use your head and don’t be stupid.

7.    Make mistakes, learn from them, then don't repeat. There is only one way to learn and that’s by making mistakes and taking the lessons away. If you mess up, learn from it and it can help mold you and teach you. The way you handle a situation says a lot more than the situation itself.

8.    Love hard. Love is beautiful but sometimes it can hurt. Always give your whole heart and if one day it gets broken, you will recover but you will never have to question whether or not you gave everything.

9.    Never judge but always hold true to your opinion. You never know what someone else is feeling, thinking or what they've been through so don't add the weight of your judgement to their stress. You are no better than your fellow humans so never judge anyone else. That being said, always have your opinion and don’t let anyone judge or persuade it.

10. Be kind. You were born with a heart so use it, every day. You will never know the affect that your words and actions can have on others, therefore, set out every day with the goal to make at least one person smile. Your soul is beautiful, share it with others.

11. Lies will never be worth the tangled web you’ll wind up in. (Lies like "no, your butt doesn't look big" and "no you're not old" do not apply as lies, they're only fibs)

12. Be understanding. Learn to understand yourself and others and how beautiful the differences and similarities can be. We are all unique, when you understand that, you will understand others.

13. Think outside the box. Get creative because your life and this world is anything but black and white. If you can’t think with logic AND emotions, it will be hard to solve problems. There is no one way or the other, there is only the way that works best per each individual. Find your way and run with it.

14. Don’t conform to society. Never be afraid or ashamed to be yourself. There will always be haters, naysayers and buttheads, but rise above the negativity because your mind, heart and soul will always be greater, stronger and braver than any negativity or doubt this world might try to throw your way.

15. Never forget where you came from and the love you were born into. You will always have a family to call home and you will always have two proud parents rooting for you in everything you do in this life.

All those words of wisdom for my baby and future babies and it still doesn't seem to be enough. I know that I can never fully prepare my boy for this world and the emotions that he will feel but I hope one day he reads this post and feels prepared to face any obstacle. I hope that in the 18 years before he reaches adulthood, my husband and I can convey these 15 points to him in such a way they become part of his person. I wish the world for my son and I wish that he becomes exactly the person he is meant to be. Most of all, I wish for him to never forget the love I have for him and forever will.