If your favorite color is pink, and you love all things girly and frilly, and want to play with Barbies and paint your nails...good for you.

If your favorite color is blue, and you want to wear jeans and t-shirts and play soccer with the neighborhood boys...well, that's fine too.

If you want to be loud and expressive, making yourself known to the world...shout it out.

If you want to be quiet and reserved, never drawing excess attention to yourself...silence is golden.

If you want to go to an Ivy League school and graduate with honors...hit the books.

If you want to forgo college and travel the world while doing odd jobs to afford your next plane ticket...renew your passport.

If you want to get married and start a family...settle down.

If you decide that marriage and babies aren't in the cards for you...so be it.

If you want to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company...work hard and smart.

If you want to be a stay at home mom, running a household...be prepared to work just as hard and just as smart.

Because here's the thing, beautiful daughter of mine-

YOU get to decide your future.

YOU get to forge your own path.

YOU get to determine who you will become.

Do not let the world tell you who you have to be.

Do not let the world mold you and conform you into a feminine standard.

You are strong.

You are wise.

You are confident.

You are uniquely you.

Be exactly who you want to be.

Dress however you choose.

Speak however you choose.

Love as you choose.

Live as you choose.

And don't you ever feel the need to answer for your choices.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and don't you ever forget it.