I don't know you. I can't picture your face, see your smile, or feel your touch. But I love you. I will hold your face in my hands every day and tell you that you are beautiful - but first, I will tell you that you are smart, capable, compassionate, brave, and above all - loved beyond understanding. I will walk with you and talk with you about loving yourself, being good to your body - but also to your mind, and always true to your heart. I will tell you that bullies struggle too, that turning the other cheek is the only way to see all sides of the story. I will remind you that "sticks and stones" is bullshit. Words are powerful beyond compare - but for every hurtful and hateful word hurled your way there are hundreds more that glorify all that you are. Sometimes, I will tell you, you have to be the one who says them, sings them, shouts them over the din of negativity that seemingly permeates every corner of our world. Whether you identify as a girl, a boy, or simply exploring who you are as a human being, I will remind you that you are strong - imploring you to keep your vowels straight because gender roles are roles, not rules. I will tell you that I love everything about you, that to me, you are perfect. Cliches aren't called truths for a reason. Imperfections do not define us or make us special: everyone is imperfect. Nor, however, do our strengths define us. It is in handling our weaknesses with grace and our strengths with compassion and humility that we define who we are.
I don't yet know you, not yet - and hopefully not for some time. But I will tell you that you are inherently and innately worthy, simply for being you.
I will tell you all of this every day, ten times a day if needed. More than anything, I hope I don't have to, because you will believe it yourself.