I know you love your daughter, and this may be hard to hear, but I’m concerned about how she feels about herself.

You’ve raised someone who is very strong and level-headed. But your daughter has the belief that she is not good enough.

She is not good enough unless she is thin.

She will not be desired unless her body is fit and perfect. That may be why she felt the need to skip dinner.

The lack of food makes her stomach flatter. And therefore, she feels pretty.

Does your beautiful baby believe she is only wanted because of her figure? Does she not have enough confidence in her intellect or wit? Has someone allow her to believe that people think fat is gross? Or that even a full stomach is unattractive?

These beliefs will kill your daughter.

They continually put her in dangerous situations. But they are also draining her of the ability to enjoy her life.

Please do not let her life boil down to one goal: making everyone think she is perfect and happy. What kind of empty existence will that be?

There is no use placing blame on how we got here. We don’t always know where these thoughts come from.

But you have a job now – to reverse her way of thinking.

Bring life back into your daughter’s world, bring her true happiness which derives from loving every inch of herself.

She needs unconditional love. Let her know that she is always loved, regardless of what may come.

EVERY time you see her, you need to say: “You are beautiful.” She may roll her eyes. But she needs to hear it.

Teach her: I am beautiful now, I was beautiful then, and I will be beautiful later.

Do not let anyone let her feel LESS THAN even if she has changed. And never allow your daughter to put HERSELF down. Do not even allow her to think she NEEDS to lose weight. No one needs too.

Some parents believe they need to teach “healthy eating” to their children. Be careful. Eating disorders are running rampant and hiding within many “health/fitness” fads.

Your daughter is not a computer. You cannot program her to eat the foods that you (or Dr. Oz) considers healthy. She is human, she is vulnerable, she is imperfect.

If there is any weight talk, it needs to be done in front of a professional: a specialist in eating disorders or a nutritionist.

It is not shameful to seek help.

Young girls today have so much pressure on them to be thin, fit and perfect. Don’t be part of the problem.

Your baby is beautiful, and the ones who love her will see it regardless of size. Schools are not instilling this, social media is not instilling this, YOU need to instill it.

And for all those daughters: if you do not have a parent that will be receptive to this letter; or in case your parent was not around to say it:

I am so proud of you.

You are so strong for enduring the things you have gone through. Society is very hard on women and YOU are so brave

Don’t fear being yourself. Don’t fear standing out.

There is only one you. And you are on this Earth because the world needed your spirit, mind and heart (not your body).

If you think you need to change your appearance, please work on your thoughts instead.

Someone planted the notion in your head that you are not good enough the way you are.

Remember, whatever perceived flaw this ignorant person pointed out, will be adored by somebody else who loves you.

You are beautiful. And loved unconditionally.

You are loved when I seem angry with you. And when you are sad. You are loved if your body changes. Even when you’re being irrational, rude or unpleasant, you are still loved.

You are loved when you feel undeserving, guilty or flawed.

And yes, you are loved if you gain weight.

You are always deserving of love, no matter what you may feel about yourself.

Love,

a warrior