On your 7th birthday
I got you a trading account, a framed picture of Matilda, and trip to NYC.
All of these things fit in perfectly with what I hope for you in your life.
1. The trading account. Ella - money is important. It's important but not the most important thing. Health and happiness should come before money - but make no mistake money can make those things easier to attain. And here's what I've learned about money - working for someone else will never make you rich unless you make them obscenely rich. You can hope to maybe garner 5% of your worth for the person you work for. So if you make them $1m - you can hope to maybe get $50k from that - and while that seems like a lot of money. In the grand scheme of things - you need to ask yourself "Could I have made the same business as the person I am working for?" If the answer to that is yes - then what I hope to provide you with here is the start of the capital that will allow you to make that patient and risky decision. Always believe in yourself - I didn't. And while I make a good living - I was never taught to do anything OTHER than work for someone else. And that conditioning has - to this point - cost me my own financial freedom. And conquering your financial freedom before anything else will allow you bandwidth to pursue passions and joys instead of doubt and concern.
We'll start off with $5k - and we'll pick 5 stocks of companies that you like.
2. Matilda - You are my little Matilda. You are brilliant and kind. I love that you love her. I love that you search knowledge through books. I think Matilda is a good character to emulate early in life.
3. NYC - travel. See the world. You know sometimes I get said when I say that. Mostly because Baltimore is my home and I doubt I'll ever live anywhere else - I love it here. It makes sense to me - but you may not... especially if you see the world. Where you live is sometimes as important as who you live with. You can fall in love with a city, a country, a beach, a horse, the smell of the rain... you never know. And it concerns me because maybe you'll move away from me one day - and I won't see you as much - and that's selfish of me to say... but I want to be honest with you. I would miss you so much but I would also know that you would pursuing your own happiness and that would make me very very happy.
Happy 7th birthday my darling daughter. I can't wait to see what's next.
Love
Daddy
To My Oldest Daughter
In a life that was once only mine a little bundle of light was gifted to me almost 7 years ago. Scrunched, wiggly, determined, smart, loving and defiant from the onset I knew my daughter would be my best friend for the rest of my life... because she was exactly like me... I knew this the moment you were born.
Her name was Ella.
When I saw you for the first time in the doctor's arms I thought it peculiar how much like me you looked. I was almost worried you would end up looking just like me - but unlike your Daddy you turned out to be the most beautiful child I could have ever wished for.
Sometimes we fight. Sometimes we argue. Sometimes you think that I'm being too hard on you... and you may have a point. But I'm going to say this and I don't mean it in a bad way - but life can be hard at time... and the lessons we're going through now will prepare you for your bright future. Your desire to question everything and push back is something I know will serve you well... but I am your Daddy and my job is to love you but also teach you.
You are the best part of my day every day. My pride swells every time I see you try. My heart leaps every time I watch you read. My eyes swell with tears when I see how hard you work to make the world around you a place that you can balance on your little fingers.
I wouldn't have chosen a different way for you to be. Remember to be kind. Remember that your family would do anything for you for the rest of your life... even if that anything isn't exactly what you want.
The title of Daddy is something I have had to earn with you and it's something I cherish to know that I am more than anything. There is no job or accolade I could want more than to be your Daddy. There is no place on earth I would rather be than watching you grow into the young person and woman you will be.
I never thought in my life I could love something so much. I never realized what it means to have the greatest daughter in the world. On your 7th birthday you amaze me every day. On your day of birth for at least one more year - while I can - I will hold you high and tell you I love you and am proud of you.
