“To my daughter…”
A mother, who wrote an open letter to her daughter asking her to be unapologetically herself, is receiving mixed reviews online.
The letter posted to Facebook at the weekend by Toni Hammer, lists out reminders for her daughter to follow.
She writes…
“Don’t apologize when someone else bumps into you.
Don’t say ‘sorry to be such a pain.’ You’re not a pain. You’re a person with thoughts and feelings who deserves respect.
Don’t make up reasons as to why you can’t go out with a guy you don’t wanna go out with. You don’t owe anyone an explanation. A simple ‘no thanks’ should be acceptable.
Don’t overthink what you eat in front of people. If you’re hungry, eat, and eat what you want. If you want pizza, don’t get a salad just because other people are around. Order the damn pizza.”
The letter which is filled with advice from one mother to her daughter ends by saying:
“Don’t say ‘yes’ to be polite. Say ‘no’ because it’s your life.
Don’t hide your opinions. Speak up and speak loudly. You should be heard.
Don’t apologize for being who you are. Be brave and bold and beautiful. Be unapologetically you.”
Written five days ago, the open post is receiving mixed reviews, with some people praising the mother for her life advice and others thinking the post is too negative and demanding.
One comment says:
“This is wonderful. I wish my Mother had had these words to impart to me when I was young. I’ve had to struggle for self acceptance and finally have achieved some sort of peace in my later years. I still occasionally apologise but it’s for everything that I never had control over to start with. Acceptance is the key to my serenity. This is a wonderful reminder of how I need to treat myself. Life is too short to focus on imperfections. Be yourself with joy!”
While another disagrees…
“Your world is already full of people who couldn’t care less about others feelings. I don’t agree with this at all. You bump into someone say sorry. I am glad my children say sorry when needed. You don’t have to be a doormat to be strong and independent. But you can first be KIND. In our effort to make strong women we forgot all about making nice people.”
You can read the full post entitled “To My Daughter” HERE.
