Lorelei's Letters - Letter Three

Lorelei's Letters is a series of posts addressed for my daughter, but that have general statements that I believe everyone should hear from someone, at some point in their lives. Basically, they are letters from mother to daughter, trying to explain this crazy world, and give some advice. A lot of them are on dark topics that I hope my daughter will get through with no scars. I hope you enjoy or at least take something from the letters. Know that no matter who you are, where you are, or what you've done, you are loved. - A mother

Dear Lorelei,

I hope you get your grandfather's stubbornness. I've been told on multiple occasions that I did. It's a Schultz thing, as I'm sure you've learned by now. The thing you should understand about family (especially our family) is that eventually, you're going to want to punch them in the face, call them out on their shit, and walk away with your head held high... but you can't really. Even if you do manage to call them out, you'll go back and apologize later. Trust me. You think you won't, you say you won't, but you will. It's another trait our family has; big hearts. Your grandpa has one of the biggest hearts. It's crazy because most people don't expect it from him. But that is perhaps his best trait; you never know what to expect from him.

Anyway, the story behind your grandpa is that he basically does whatever he wants. Thank goodness he does. He is stubborn as hell. I've seen six people yell at him all at once and he didn't care, not one little bit. He smiled at me (I was too afraid to yell), and laughed. People like to point fingers, but that's not really how he operates. He likes people to stand up and announce when they're wrong. He won't tell you that you're wrong, he'll expect you to say it yourself. I love this about him. It's how he has gotten as far as he has. He doesn't take anyone's shit and when he's wrong, he admits it. His humbleness surprises some people.

Take a page from his book. Do not mistake this for a bad thing. Grandpa is the smartest man I know. He does what makes him happy, and tries not to listen to what anyone has to say about it... like you. He was so excited to meet you and he cried tears of joy the first time he felt you kick. He went out and told all of his friends and most of the family about you and how excited he was. Your grandpa is the only person in my family that I got to announce face to face that I was pregnant to, everyone else he told. My point being, he doesn't care what anyone else thinks. He is openly himself. He celebrates what he gets excited about without shame, as everyone should. There are too many horrible things in this world to not celebrate even the smallest victories.

Being a girl, I know these traits are harder. As a woman, I've been called a bitch for acting like my father. I've been asked if I'm on my period when I reprimand someone for not doing their job. I've been laughed at when I yelled at people. Seriously though, take a page from his book. You may get a lot of shit for it, but you will succeed. Sometimes, you have to be a bitch. Bitches get shit done, remember that. Humble yourself, but do not be afraid to stand up for yourself or the position that you hold. Your grandpa is ridiculous with how much he's accomplished, and I do my best to make myself as like him as possible. It's hard. I by no means expect you to create a company out of your garage, but I do expect you to work hard and create a positive life for yourself. I'll always do my best to help you.

Keep your head held high and laugh when people try to yell at you for bettering your life. Having a vagina does not mean you have to be small and quiet. It means you have to fight a little harder, but it will be worth it. You'll grow from it.

I love you to the moon and back,

~Mommy