Thoughts on a Blessing

I have been thinking quite a bit about the blessing of my daughter. Things are different now that we know we are going to be having a little girl. For a boy you expect, or hope for, certain things in their life. For a girl, those things are different. I am going to write down my thoughts now so that Jocelyn will know those things that I hope for her to enjoy as a blessing in her life.

To my beautiful daughter,

I would bless you in this life with the gift of discernment - that you would make wise choices in all things; especially in your choice of friends. I would bless you with a hunger for knowledge and a profound joy in the undertaking of learning, both formally and through practical experience - that you will be innately inquisitive and desire to learn in all aspects of your life. I would bless you with the desire to be a strong example to any future siblings, that you would be slow to anger and quick to forgive. I would bless you with a strong desire to know your Heavenly Father, to have a passion for the gospel and a desire to be a faithful and strong member of the church. I would bless you with health and strength. I would bless you with a companion who honors the priesthood and is worthy to take you to the temple. I would bless you with the knowledge that your mother and father love you very much, and that your well-being is paramount in our lives. But most importantly, I would have you remember that your mother and I have waited many years for your choice spirit to enter our home, and that we will do everything in our stewardship to help you hold to the iron rod and keep you on a path that will return you to your Heavenly Father.

You are my daughter, my firstborn, and I love you very much. I hope that you see in me a strong example of how a woman should be treated as you watch the interactions between me and your mother. I will always be there for you.

I love you.