Parents, tell your children how much you love them, why you love them, and that you will never stop loving them any chance you get.

Tell your children what parts of who they are make them special, what aspects of their character make them unique, and what sounds of their voice make them authentic.

Tell your children that you notice how hard they try, that you see how resilient they can be, and

that you are proud of how much effort they put in to certain parts of life.

Tell your children that there is no limit to your support, there are no conditions to your love, and there is no end to your empathy.

Tell your children that no piece of paper, no letter or number, and no sign or signature determines their worth or decides who they are or will one day be.

Tell your children that no competition, no opinion, no comparison, and no situation will ever make your love for them lessen or your belief in them weaken.

Parents, tell your children what you see in them on so many days and in so many ways that they have no choice but to see it, too.

Do this so that when someone or something else tries to convince them otherwise they won’t hear it, they won’t believe it, they won’t allow it to change the story they identify with:

the story of kindness, creativity, and honesty,
or the story of respect, bravery, and generosity,
the story of excellence, humility, and loyalty,
or the story of integrity, tenacity, and grace.

Tell them these things because your voice will ring clear in their minds for years.

Tell them these things because the voices of others will undoubtedly echo differently in their hearts throughout their years.

Tell them these things because you have a choice every time you speak—you can choose to whisper life and love into your children’s souls, or you can choose not to.

Parents, tell them these things simply because they deserve to hear it...

from you.