I Won’t Raise My Daughter To Be The ‘Good Girl’

“Listen close, dear daughter…

You don’t have to play the part of the good girl.

I know the weight that it carries.

Trying to be ‘good.’

Good is doing all the right things.

Good is self-sacrifice.

Good is what’s expected.

Good is what’s praised.

Except, good is subjective.

What looks good for some?

It can feel terrible for others.

What someone says feels good?

It may not be the right fit for you.

And what someone believes is good?

You may know in your heart, is not.

So, no, my girl.

I don’t hope for you to be good.

I hope for you to be real.

Authentic.

And true to you.

I believe I’ve raised you to decide right from wrong.

I believe I’ve shown you when and where kindness matters.

I believe I’ve given you the tools to make smart decisions.

I believe I’ve placed the power of choice in your hands.

And I believe in you being real over good.

Because while good may be how you’re perceived by others…

Real? Real is who you are within yourself.

So please, dear daughter, don’t try to be the good girl.

Strive to be the real one.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Mehr Lee of Raise Her Wild. You can follow her journey on Instagram and Facebook. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.

Read more from Mehr here:

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‘As I lay food on the dining table, my phone vibrates. A short, familiar text lights up the screen. Hubby: late.’: Woman shares ode to the ‘working man’

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