My Wish.

I have never loved someone as much as I love my newborn niece, Leighton.

I mean seriously. Look at this face:

I know that all around me friends and people that I grew up with are having children. That our timelines and social media feeds can get bombarded with these smiling faces. But I just wanted to reflect on this upcoming generation.

They are not born to hate or judge. From the second that they arrive, they love. The purity that they are born with is one of the greatest things about them.

While I will not get into politics. I will mention that besides baby pictures, our feeds are filled with arguments and hate. No matter which side you're on, I know that you have emotions and opinions about the other side. Which is your right.

Yet look. This is our future generation.

My hope and wish for my niece is that she grows up to love others. That she is a kind and smart. That we teach her right from wrong and above all, she is compassionate.

I hope that seeing this generation being born also brings compassion to our hearts. As Leighton's aunt, I feel different. I have this child in my life that I love dearly and have hopes for her as she grows. My life changed with her arrival and I will do anything that I can to teach her love.

To show her love. There is so much negatively and bad going on in our world, but then there is this angel. Goodness.

I love you, Leighton. I promise to always be there for you and to support you as you continue to grow and learn. To continuously show you the good that is out there.

There are still good people in this world and I promise to be one of them.

If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile.

But more than anything, more than anything

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small.