If you have a purpose in which you can believe, there's no end to the amount of things you can accomplish....Marian Anderson

Are we raising our daughters to be strong, independent, loving and insightful women

I have two daughters ages 15 and 10. They are totally different in personalities, wants and looks. I have to say, that I don't thank God enough for the opportunity to be their mom. I love them for their individuality, independence, looks, boldness, coyness, intelligence, and their style.

I hope that my daughters are able to take some of my attributes and build upon them. My innate sense of self perseverance, my sense of loyalty to family and friends, my desire to want and to be more than anyone could ever fathom, my internal will to overcome the insurmountable, and my need to love and be loved are attributes that I bestow to them as women. In our efforts to maintain and survive daily @#%#, we become neglectful of our obligation, yes obligation, to show, to teach and to groom our daughters to be better and to want better than our circumstances have afforded us.

There are times that I look at Bria and Mya and I allow myself to vicariously view life from their eyes. The innocence of yesterday, the desire to explore and to discover tomorrow are rekindled within my spirit.

So you see ladies, remember when you reach out to touch a hand, it is the flesh and warmth of that other hand that we embrace and comfort that is soothing to us as well. Allow yourself to help bring a spirit of sistahood and womanhood in our budding flowers. Did you water and shine sunlight on your flower today?

In my quest to mold my daughters to be all they can be, I gain appreciation of their strengths, their weaknesses, and their strong qualities/attributes that they give so willingly to the world. If I could protect them from all the ills of the world, heart break, hurt feelings, and failed relationships I would. I am currently separated and I am so careful about my role as a mother and woman and how these roles are perceived by my daughters. I want them to see the strong woman that I am but I also want them to see me in a loving, caring, thoughtful relationship. I owe them the opportunity to witness a healthy relationship between a man and woman to use as a blueprint and gauge for their relationships in the future.

Today, hug your daughter and tell her why you love her. Make her feel like the earth revolves around her total existence. Make her see and value who she is and how valuable she is to you and others.

Peace and Blessings,

Tracey ReNissa