Dear Daughter: A Message of Love for Mother’s Day Through Music

Disclosure: Halestorm is a client of Influence Central.

With Mother’s Day approaching, I reflect on the relationships I enjoy with my two daughters (ages 21 and 13).

While parenting still involves back rubs when they’re sick, and the application of bandages to scraped knees, these years also have me helping my girls deal with the sting of rejection, the pain of heartache, the bitter taste of jealousy, and feelings of self-doubt, among other tough emotions and situations.

Parenting is not for the faint of heart.

Two very unique personalities, and in different stages of life, I parent them both the same, offering each advice, support, and love. As they navigate the choppy waters of youth and young adulthood, I arm both of my daughters with facts and information, as well as my honesty, trust, and encouragement.

A fan of storytelling, I pepper our conversations with anecdotes or even just tidbits of stories of events from my own life. Some illustrate times during which I learned valuable lessons, either through failure, success, or by simply taking a chance, while others offer the benefit of hindsight, with me sharing what “I wish I’d known then”.

I am not embarrassed or ashamed of any decision I made in my life. Each fork in the road led me to become the woman I am today, and I unabashedly share these experiences with my daughters. We’ve had tough, awkward, and even cringe-worthy conversations, with the ultimate goal of them growing up being confident, healthy, and happy, able to find their own “true north”, or path to fulfillment and happiness.

As their fiercest supporter, who wants them to have the confidence to take chances and make their own choices, I’m also always going to be their “soft place to fall”. No matter what happens in their lives, and no matter the circumstances – my girls can always count on me for quiet, nonjudgmental support, or to guide and help them through whatever they’re going through. I never want them to feel alone in anything they may face.

When I watched Halestorm’s latest video, ‘Dear Daughter’, the message in the song really hit home with me. Maybe because my youngest is just entering the rollercoaster teen years, and my eldest is a year away from university graduation and being a full-fledged adult, but the lyrics touched my heart. No matter one’s parenting philosophy, every mother wants the very best for her children. Have a listen to this song, share with your mom friends if it resonates with you, too, and enter the giveaway below for the opportunity to win a Halestorm merchandise prize package including 1 signed CD copy of Into The Wild Life, 1 T-shirt and 1 copy of Reanimate 3.0 Covers EP picture disc.

Halestorm Giveaway

Photo credit: Applehead Studio Photography in Halifax, NS.

Natalie Rea

Mom to two amazing daughters - a feisty teen in middle school, and an ambitious young adult in university. Originally from Montréal's West Island, I now explore the beautiful trails of Hamilton, Ontario. Proud Canadian, vegetarian, dog-adopter, & bleeding-heart liberal. I smile a lot because I have Resting Bitch Face.