Promises to My Teenage Daughter

I PROMISE to believe in you even when you are filled with doubt.

I PROMISE to let you live up to your own expectations, not the expectations I had for you.

I PROMISE not to push you more than you push yourself.

I PROMISE to accept you for who you are, because that’s all I want you to be.

I PROMISE to give you everything you need and as much time as I can — even though it’s never as much as I want.

I PROMISE to cheer, whether it’s for acheivement on the court or in the classroom.

I PROMISE to give you the space you need to think and the time you need to make your own decisions.

I PROMISE to love you when you succeed and even more when you struggle.

I PROMISE to be the best dad I’m able to be, even though I’m not the dad you want me to be.

I PROMISE to let you go, when all I want to do is hold on.