It is what it is…

BY Marc Chayer

This week, I wanted to take a hard left and move away from the politics of the world and focus on something closer to home. That said, please bear with me on this, as below you will find an open letter to my daughter and through it, hopefully, parents reading this will find a message as well.

To my darling daughter,

Recently, your mom and I have come to realize that you are not the little girl who was so easily amused with simply stacking cans on the floor in front of the pantry. Recently, we have come to realize that, in fact, (and way too fast for us), you are becoming a beautiful young lady who is facing many of the trials Mom and I have come to expect in life.

Society at its best is challenging and, at its worst, cruel and indifferent. Don’t let that change you!

We are reminded through you just how intense “peer pressure” can be, but it is only that, pressure. If there is anything we can teach you is this simple fact: pressure is beaten through love and understanding. As you well know, I am far from an expert in these areas but I am, as you, learning the lessons each and every day.

You have within you the gift of positivity and anyone who comes in contact with you finds you to be not only nice but a joy to be around. This is something that should never be discounted. Trust me when I say that our world would be such a better place if there was more of you in it.

Awards and recognition are often goals that people strive for. While they are nice, they fade. When we need it most, in our darkest days, we will find no comfort in a certificate or brass plaque, rather we will find the warmth and security of family as the remedy to all of life’s cruelties.

In my years on this Earth, I have spent a great deal of time looking for that “recognition’. That is, until the day you were born. It was on that day that I realized what made me complete was you.

You have delighted and surprised me and your mom almost daily with your commitment to things you care about and those you call friends. You are as sensitive as you are happy and this is a gift given to you by God to do something great one day.

Always know that no matter what or where, Mom and I have your back. Every minute I am awake, I am proud of you and what you do and who you are. There is no greater joy for me and your mom than to see you happy.

In closing, keep in mind that your dad is a bit of a “tank in the rose garden.” My first inclination is to always go on the attack where I think you are threatened. This is why your mom is there. She is the stabilizing force in the house and makes sure there is always a balance.

We are proud of you and if I have one wish, it’s that you are always happy no matter what you are doing.

It is what it is…