A Letter to My Daughter on 2020

Dear Arielle Marie,

This is not the world I wanted to bring you into. A world where it’s unsafe to gather together with family and you’re unable to see the smiles you bring to people’s faces because they are covered with masks. 

Where hundreds of thousands have died because those in power failed to act and men and women are still discriminated against because of the color of their skin, where they come from, their religion, or who they love.

But this is what 2020 brought.

And because I believe that every experience, no matter how unnecessary, avoidable, or sad, provides an opportunity for us to learn and grow, (and because I know you’re not going to remember it) I am going to share just a few of the things the world learned this year, as well as the amazing milestones you achieved while that world I once knew melted away into something new and foreign. 

In 2020 the world learned …

That a simple virus can bring us all to our knees.

That people will no longer be silent when it comes to violence towards minorities and the marginalized. 

That actions speak louder than words. 

That every single vote counts. 

And that doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers and first responders are the true superheroes. 

All the while, in our own little world …

You learned to walk.

You learned to talk.

You learned to run.

And climb.

And blow kisses.

You learned to give hugs and sing and dance in your own funny way. 

It’s you’re smile and kind soul that has brought me so much joy and happiness during a time filled with so much uncertainty. I realize that you’ll never know a world before Covid. But that’s part of life. We grow, we learn, we evolve. 

May you always remember to bring your light and love to the world in the hope of making it a better place, as we all should do. And may 2021 be a little kinder to us all.

I love you, my darling.