讀到最後有驚喜！
親愛的恬恬，我美麗的女兒，生日快樂！難以置信，16年前的今天，三個小時後，你就來到這個世界了。
為了迎接你的到來，助產士在我的手心裏放上冰塊，教我用呼吸來增強對疼痛的忍耐。經過生命中最痛苦的幾個小時後，獎勵——一種無法用言語表達的喜悅——終於出現在我的眼前。我沒有使用任何緩解疼痛的藥物，你剛出生的時候是完全清醒的，當護士把你放在我胸前，你的一雙眼睛深深地注視著我。我不知道一個新生兒會如此深入地看著我的靈魂，這是母親和女兒之間深刻連接的時刻。從那以後，在我生命中的每一天，都珍藏著那個瞬間。
親愛的恬恬，我美麗的女兒，你生來就帶著一個老靈魂。當你七歲時，你說上帝創造嬰兒時，會將箭射穿女人的心髒，所以所有的嬰兒都是帶著愛而來的。這使我想知道你在這個生命中經曆了多少次輪回，才能分享這樣的智慧？
在你的每個生日中，你總是向家人尋求智慧，而不是禮物。在這個生日，你要求我們所有人，爸爸媽媽、爺爺奶奶、姑媽、舅舅、表兄弟姐妹，甚至是你年幼的弟弟，來分享他們對生命的意義的看法。
我相信生命的意義在於活出自己的生命目的。我們生命的目的是找到自己的天賦，並將其奉獻出去。
親愛的恬恬，我美麗的女兒，生命的目的是服務，而你必須先學會服務自己，照顧好你的身體和靈魂。愛自己意味著愛你所有的方麵，即使是你覺得可能不可愛的地方。作為女性，我們常常會在滿足別人的需要之前忽略了自己。當你滿足自己的需求並感到快樂時，周圍的每個人也會感到快樂。
親愛的恬恬，我美麗的女兒，相信自己，相信宇宙會一直為你提供你所需要的東西，沒有夢想是實現不了的。所有的想法都始於思考，堅守你內心的渴望，宇宙會找到實現它的方式。你付出得越多，你得到的就越多，因為能量永不消散，隻會轉換或改變形式；生命支撐著那些支撐著生命的東西。
親愛的恬恬，我美麗的女兒，擁抱你內心的情人、戰士、魔法師和女王吧！想象這個團隊，他們會為你提供建議，並始終服務於對你最有利的事情上；在你內心培養她們，慶祝你的生活是多麽神奇，並將繼續如此。
親愛的恬恬，我美麗的女兒，你的生命是最重要的。你說過你不知道自己的熱情所在，你說：“因為我熱愛許多的東西，媽媽。” 我微笑著說：“那你多麽幸運呀，繼續追逐它們吧。”“那我要怎麽做？”“跟隨那條阻力最少的路。”讓你內心充滿喜悅的就是那條阻力最少的路，跟隨你真實的感受，讓愉悅指引你，不要害怕在路上調整自己的方向，讓你的內心引領你。你喜歡寫作，就去寫作吧；你喜歡旅行，就去旅行吧；你喜歡美食，就盡情地創造和分享吧；你喜歡時尚，就去大膽地設計吧！你的內心住著一位藝術家，創造是你的信仰，創造出你內心的一切吧，你注定要體驗彩虹的全部色彩。
親愛的恬恬，我美麗的女兒，要一直保持耐心。我知道在這個時代，一切都發生得很快，但好事值得等待，就像可口的飯菜有時需要時間來燉。我把這些文字打出來的時候，也在提醒自己同樣的事情。
親愛的恬恬，我美麗的女兒，你已經活在了在生命的目的中，即使你可能還沒有意識到。你學到的每一個教訓，讀過的每一本書，經曆的每一個事情都在為你做準備；你被偉大的力量指引著。人們會不斷地來幫助你，指導你，幫助你共同創造你的美好生活。
親愛的恬恬，我美麗的女兒，祝你擁有一個充滿愛、喜悅、笑聲、樂趣和冒險的人生。去到你的心之所向的地方，不用理會世界上的否定者。相信自己，你注定會成就非凡。在你的生日之際，我想再次分享我最喜歡的瑪麗安·威廉森的詩歌《最深的恐懼》：
我們最深的恐懼，並非是我們無能為力；
我們最深的恐懼，是我們不可估量的能力；
是我們內心的光明，而非黑暗，使我們驚恐不已。
我們捫心自問
我是可以聰明，美貌，才華橫溢，出類拔萃嗎？
難道我們不可以成為這樣的人嗎？
你萎縮自己，掩蓋自己的光芒，並不會點亮這個世界
縮小自己在狹窄的世界裏，
為了消除周圍的人感到不安，並無裨益。
我們本應該光芒四射，象孩子們一樣，照亮世界。
我們生來就是為了呈現內在已有的上帝的榮耀。
這種榮耀的光芒不隻在一些人身上；
它在每個人身上。
當我們讓自己發出光芒，
我們不知不覺中也允許他人去閃耀他們的光芒。
當我們將自己從恐懼中解放
我們的存在無形中也解放了他人。
親愛的恬恬，我美麗的女兒，你生來就是為了閃耀，閃耀你內在無比的光芒！所以盡情照耀吧，寶貝！
愛你的媽媽
2022年1月2日（上午5:00）寫於Everglade國家公園
Dear Serena, my beautiful daughter, today is your birthday. Hard to believe that 16 years ago today, three hours from now, you arrived in this world.
To prepare for your arrival, my Doula taught me to practice breathing with ice in my palms to build pain tolerance. Through the most painful hours in my life, the reward, the unspeakable bundle of joy, finally arrived in front of my eyes. No pain medication was used in delivery so you arrived fully alert. When the nurse placed you on my chest, immediately after you were born, you looked at me and held my gaze. I didn’t know that a newborn could look into my soul like that. It was a moment of deep connection between a mother and a daughter. I have since treasured it every day of my life.
Dear Serena, my beautiful daughter, You were born an old soul. When you were seven years old, you said when God created babies, he shot an arrow through women’s hearts, so all babies were born with love. It made me wonder how many lives have you lived to share such wisdom in this lifetime?
Each birthday, you’ve always asked family for wisdom instead of presents. For this birthday, you asked all of us, your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and even your young brother to share their wisdom in What is the meaning of life?
I believe the meaning of life is to live one’s purpose. And the purpose of our lives is to find our gift and give it away.
Dear Serena, my beautiful daughter, the purpose of life is serving and you must learn to serve yourself first, take care of your body and soul. Love yourself means love all aspects of you, even the areas that you might not feel lovely. Love them all. As women, we often attend to others before we fill our own oxygen tank. When you fill your tank and are feeling happy, everyone around you will be too.
Dear Serena, my beautiful daughter, have faith, trust the universe always provides for you. No dream is too big. All ideas start with a thought. Stay true to your heart's desire and the universe will find a way to deliver it. The more you give, the more you will receive because energy never dissipates, it only transfers and changes forms. Life supports what supports life.
Dear Serena, my beautiful daughter, embrace the lover, the warrior, the magician and the queen in you. Imagine this team, they are advising you and act in your best interest at all times. Cultivate each and grow them in you. Celebrate how magical your life is and will continue to be.
Dear Serena, my beautiful daughter, your life matters. What you say and do matter. You once said you didn’t know what your passion was “Because I have so many, mommy.” I smiled, “Well, how lucky are you. Follow them all.” “How?””Follow the path of least resistance.” What fills your heart with joy is the path of least resistance. Keep in touch with your feelings, let pleasure guide you, don’t be afraid to adjust your path along the way. Let your heart lead you. You love writing, so write. You love traveling, so travel. You love food, so create and share. You love fashion, so design and inspire. You are an artist at heart. Creation is your religion, So create to your heart’s content. You are destined to experience the fullest of the rainbow.
Dear Serena, my beautiful daughter, be patient. I know in this day and age, everything happens so fast but good things are worth waiting for, just like delicious meals sometimes take time to simmer. I am reminding myself the same as these words landing on the page under my typing fingers.
Dear Serena, my beautiful daughter, you are already living the purpose of life, even though you might not know it. Every lesson you learned, every book you read, every experience you lived are preparing you. You are guided by a greater force. People have been and will be continuously sent your way to mentor you, assist you and help you to co-create your magnificent life.
Dear Serena, my beautiful daughter, I wish you a life full of love, joy, laughter, fun and adventure. Go where your heart takes you, ignore all the naysayers in the world. Believe. You are destined for greatness. On your birthday, I would like to again share my favorite poem Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you,
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us,
It’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give permission to other people to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Dear Serena, my beautiful daughter, you are born to shine. You are born with light within. So Shine baby shine.
Love,
Mommy
Everglade National Park
1/2/2022 (5:00 AM)
