On the eve of kindergarten..

Ava starts kindergarten tomorrow. I’ve had extra time to prepare since her birthday made her just miss the cutoff last year. She will be six next months, and I can honestly say that I feel like the last six years have passed in the blink of an eye. With such a milestone, as it has approached, I’ve become less sad and just excited. I KNOW this girl is going to go on to do big things and I truly can’t wait to sit back and watch!

So, in honor of tomorrow’s first day:

Ava,

You start kindergarten tomorrow. I know that you will have the best time and you are going to learn SO much! I’m excited for you, but I also know this is going to be a BIG change. This is when the work starts getting real and the life lessons will, too. As you grow up and pass through grades, you’re going to face so many things that they don’t teach you in school. As your momma, it’s my job to teach you these things, and I want you to always remember these.

• Be YOU. There is no one else like you in the world and don’t ever change yourself to be anyone else. Just. Be. You.
• Try new things. Mommy was a ‘fraidy cat in school and I skipped out on a lot of things because I was embarrassed to try them or just plain scared. I don’t want you to do that and miss out on finding something new you may love.
• Always do your best. You are so smart, Ava. But you can be lazy. You like to rush through things just to get it done. Slow down and take your time. You’ll waste more time having to re-do things than if you try your best the first time.
• You can do hard things. Sometimes it will seem like you can’t tackle the obstacle in front of you, but know this, baby girl. You can do it. Whether it be school work or some situation that you find yourself in, you’ve got it. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Don’t give up on yourself or sell yourself short.
• Families are forever and family is first. Your family is the best support group you have. No one in this world will love you quite like we do. No matter what happens in your life and where life takes you, we will ALWAYS be there for you. Come to us. Talk to us. Let us walk through life with you. There will come a day when you find yourself wanting to be with your friends and boys more than us, and that’s a normal part of life, but just remember we will always be there. Make time for us because friendships fade and boyfriends will break your heart and people come in and out of your life, but not us. You’ll always have a place with us.
• Always use your manners. An aide at your school stopped me last night to tell me how polite you always are and that made me so proud. It tells me you ARE listening and watching, even when it doesn’t seem like it. Thank you for making us so proud.
• You will have hard times. You just will. That’s an inevitable part of life. Just remember when you’re faced with a challenging situation, Jesus is there for you and hears you. Pray. Ask Him to be your guide. You may find yourself on a road you shouldn’t have taken, but with Jesus in your heart you’ll always get right back to where you need to be.
• Remember the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Ava, you will encounter mean girls. It’s inevitable. Even as an adult you’ll have to deal with mean girls. You will get hurt and you won’t understand, but please, please don’t be a mean girl in return. Be kind hearted and treat people like you would like to be treated, but still stand up for yourself. You may not always be able to salvage a relationship and that’s okay. Pray for those who hurt you and know when enough is enough and when to walk away.
• Don’t be afraid to go your own way. You’re a follower, Ava. You like to jump in a group and just join in the fun. There will be times that you need to stray from the group and make the hard decision to NOT follow along. Trust me on this. I’ve been there. Make good choices.
• You are SO loved. Even when it feels like you have no one, just know that we love you more than the world.

Spread your wings, baby girl. We can’t wait to see you fly and all that you’ll accomplish.

Love you forever,

Momma