1.

I want her to grow stronger, physically and mentally, so she’s that much better equipped to tackle whatever the world has in store for her.

2.

I want her to fail. And to learn tough lessons from every single mistake, rather than feel ashamed of them.

3.

I want her to behave poorly, and to realize, ultimately, that doing so won’t make her feel all that good.

4.

I want her to behave well, and to recognize, eventually, that being your best self is more rewarding than anything else.

5.

I want her to try new things with abandon, and to figure out what she likes and loathes along the way.

6.

I want her to test her own boundaries. To push herself far, far beyond whatever comfort zone she starts to settle into.

7.

I want her to ask herself really hard questions. And not figure out all the answers.

8.

I want her to let her imagination run wild. Like, crazy wild—to the point where her thoughts make zero sense but she knows on some level that it’s okay because her inner life is fast becoming a wondrous place just for her and her weird brain.

9.

I want her to cry tears of joy, and of pain.

10.

I want her to laugh at something that made her feel embarrassed months before, and to realize that time heals in almost all scenarios.

11.

I want her to make many difficult choices. To suffer the consequences of bad decisions, and celebrate the good ones.

12.

I want her to learn, slowly but surely, to respect and appreciate her personal limits.

13.

I want her to feel on behalf of others—to become more empathetic by challenging herself to consider other people’s realities, specifically how they differ from her own.

14.

I want her to get a better sense of what love really is, and to see a little more clearly what compassion really means.

15.

I want her to get smarter, and to thirst for yet more knowledge. To seek out yet more of whatever piques her interest and keeps her mind and heart engaged.

16.

I want her to help other people in whatever way she can, even just by offering a kind word or by making them smile.

17.

I want her to use every single second of the new year to become a little bit more of the person she was born to be, while starting to realize that it will take hard work to carve out a life that truly feels worth living.

18.

I want her to learn as much as she possibly can about who she really is. And to know that I will love her no matter who that may be.