A Prayer for the First Day of School

Girls, you got up this morning and made yourselves breakfast.

You ate nectarines, heated up leftover pancakes, toasted waffles, and made yourself coffee. I walked one of you to school, mom drove one of you, and one of you got a ride with friends.

I hugged you all goodbye this morning before I left, because you’re still at the ages where you let me hug you. I hope that you’ll always let me hug you (except for when you don’t want hugs, because don’t you dare ever let anybody make you feel like you owe them physical affection.)

The truth is, these days I’m not much of a praying man. At least not in the way that I grew up thinking about prayer. My prayers look a lot less like talking to someone or something, and a lot more like listening to you as you talk about the things you’re excited about. A band you discovered, or the sushi that you love to eat, or the spider web that you saw on the way to school.

So this is my prayer for all three of you this year as you go into 9th, 7th, and 3rd grades.

I pray that as you go through your days, you know that you are loved.

I pray that you navigate growing up, that you know that you have a family that adores you, and would do absolutely anything for you.

I pray that you are less concerned with being the most popular kid in the room, and more concerned with being the kindest kid in the room.

I pray that you see people sitting alone and give them someone to sit with.

I pray that you fierecly stand up for those that are being picked on or mocked or belittled.

I pray that you are never content with spoon-fed answers, but that you are always curious and inquisitive.

I pray that you learn that NO is a complete sentence.

I pray that you never feel the need to change who you are to fit in.

I pray that you stand up to injustice whever you may encounter it.

I pray that learn to recognize when your body needs rest.

I pray that you learn the healing power of a really good song, a really beautiful poem, or a really good piece of pizza.

I pray that you will always be someone who is comfortable talking to your mom and I about anything that’s bothering you.

Most importantly, I pray that you know deep in the core of who you are, that you are enough. That you are worthy of every good thing. And that there is NOTHING that you could do that will make your mom and I love you any more or less than we love you at this exact moment.

You are perfect the way that you are. Don’t ever change.

I adore you more than you will ever know or understand.

Love,

Dad