By Katie Tallo
“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think,” Christopher Robin to Pooh in A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh
I’ve tried to encourage my daughter in the eighteen years since she was born. At times I’ve seen her face fall, her eyes well up, her little self defeated by either my words or deeds. I’m not perfect.
Encouragement is tricky territory. It’s somewhere between love and letting go, between saying too much and too little, between urging and pushing, enabling and empowering. I’ve tried, over-tried and in the end, I hope I’ve done enough for her. I hope I’ve given her wisdom and strength. She seems to possess both without my help.
On Friday, she heads off to France for a month of studies and... More...
