Dear Former Self,

We need to talk.

I am not sure how to break this to you. Like removing a band-aid, it is probably best to do this quickly. Not beat around the bush.

When your daughter turns three, she requests a Frozen-themed cake and wears a princess dress to her party.

Are you ok? Do you need to sit down? Can I get you a glass of water?

First things first: What is Frozen you ask? ONLY THE BEST DISNEY MOVIE EVER. (Others may disagree with you. Ignore them.)

No, seriously. It is a Disney movie that doesn’t entirely make your feminist heart cringe. It is a story about true love…BETWEEN SISTERS! Didn't see that coming did you. (Bonus: our amazing sister even makes a stunning cake featuring the movie’s protagonists. You may or may not have played with the dolls before putting on the cake. #sistersforever.)

Do not fret. Your future self has not abandoned all her girl-power principles. Not by a long shot.

You chill out and learn to trust your child. You understand that she will not break at the site of a Disney princess.

You find balance with this parenting thing.

And while it is true that your kid watches Frozen (over and over again), she also watches Bob the Builder, Transformers: Rescue Bots (yes it is as cool as it sounds), and Masha and the Bear. (That last one? Oh just a quirky Russian cartoon about a girl and her anthropomorphic bear friend. You will dig it.)

The more your get into this parenting gig, the more you learn that you can’t make every little thing about YOU. You learn to let your child be who they are. This means that sometimes you have to release your preconceived visions of how you think things should be.

You might have imagined that raising a strong girl meant boycotting pink tulle and princess gowns, but you learn that it isn't so black and white. Your daughter dresses up in a princess dress, yes. But she also loves wearing aviation goggles and pretending to fly spaceships.

You learn to roll with it.

Why, you could even say you learn to Let it go! (Ha! This is a funny joke, trust me.)

Take heart. She initially wanted a dinosaur cake for her birthday. She still loves dinosaurs, too. In fact, at daycare one day, the teacher jokingly called her “princess z.” and she scowled back, “I am NOT a princess. I am a dinosaur! I am a T-REX!”

So don't worry: t-rex or tiaras, the kid is alright.

Love,

Your Future Self

P.S. Girlfriend, invest in some good under-eye concealer. You’re going to need it.