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My beautiful daughter,
Hi. I pray to a God I never really believed in that you know who this message is coming from. That I am sitting next to you while you are reading this. And I hope that we can laugh about how worried and scared I am while writing this. Because things are always funnier afterwards. But just in case I didn’t make it, just in case I wasn’t there to see you grow up: Hi, I am your mom. And I love you.
Seeing as how I might not be around to thoroughly annoy you, I thought I’d give you a little list of the things that I wish for you. Because there are so many things I want you to have and so much advice I have to give you. There’s the obvious. An education. Family. Friends. Love. I want to tell you stories about my life and make sure you know to say please and thank you. I want to share memories with you and help you follow your dreams. I insist that you, my girl, be a dreamer. I wish for you a life that is full of the unexpected. Be sure to make mistakes. Make a lot of them, because there is no better way to learn and to grow. May your life be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some good books and get to share your life with someone who thinks you are wonderful. And don’t forget to make some art. Write or draw or dance or sing or live as only you can.
There are so many different and beautiful forms of art. I myself have been writing and taking pictures for a long time now. But the one form of art that has always been the most important one for me is music. Because over the years I have learned that music always helps. No matter what you are going through. Whether you fail a big test or you have a really bad break-up. Or you just miss someone so bad it hurts. No matter what, I promise music will help you get through it. Trust me on this one, I know this from personal experience. It’s part of the reason your dad and I are both addicted to music. That, and the fact that with him being such an incredible, talented singer and songwriter and me working for Decaydance and Rolling Stone, music is a constant in our lives. Other people will look at a photo and are taken back in time, but for us that’s music. A simple melody, a line in a song. Just a few notes or words are enough to bring back memories and put a smile on our faces.
Oh sweetheart, how I hope that I will be there to tell you all of this in person. But just in case I’m not, I wrote down a list. A list of fifty songs. The Cab, Snow Patrol, John Lennon, Katy Perry. They’re all on there. It’s not just music, it’s music that my life has been set to. Fifty songs, fifty memories that I want you to know about. Fifty stories that will help you get to know me, even if it’s just a little bit.
And if afterwards you decide you want to hear more or if you decide this playlist isn’t your thing and you long for some new music, just walk up to your dad. As you will probably know by the time you are reading this letter, your dad knows an incredible lot about music. So just go to your dad and ask for a story or a song you want to hear. He loves you, from before you were born, and he will not be able to refuse you anything. But for now, just get comfortable and read on about everything I want to tell you.