Evie Harper,

Nine! Your last year as a single digit.

I miss you.

You have started to thrive athletically, your sporting interests have been a pleasure to watch. You can achieve anything you want in any sport you choose.

I know schoolwork doesn’t come as naturally as gymnastics, soccer, basketball or touch footy. I can see you are practising with your new tutor, Bridgett and with Kate at school, you are doing the right things to get better and you will get better. Your effort is the only thing that matters with schoolwork. Keep trying hard. Your Dadda struggled at school and he got by. You will too.

This might be hard to digest right now but as you embark on your last three years of primary school, remember that you are in control of your life. Your actions, decisions, and efforts determine the outcomes from now until you are a mum with your children and grandchildren. You control your destiny precious girl.

As a young girl, you’re growing up in a challenging world with a huge amount of pressure and I believe many of those pressures will be rolling into your life right about now.

Believe in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals and overcome challenges. If you believe in yourself, you will foster a strong sense of self-confidence and competence, this will empower you to tackle difficult situations and setbacks, for there will be a few.

Challenges are opportunities! if you remember this then you will build resilience and resilience will be like a coat of armour.

You have to start making choices now as a young girl and while choices like what you eat and how you spend your time is important the most important choices are what your attitudes and dreams are.

How you view life everyday is a choice. Every week you will be hurt, angry, sad or disappointed. It’s okay to feel this way Rabsy, but work with your dad on framing those feelings and choose how to process them.

As you keep working hard at school and on the sporting field, your talents and strengths will flourish and you can choose the dreams you want to follow. Dreams don’t have to be big, they can be simple dreams too. Tell Daddy your dreams and he will help you guide them. Follow your own dreams and choices, not anyone else’s.

Your opinion about yourself matters more than any teacher, coach, friend or even me as your mother. Remind yourself of this everyday.

I love you!

Mumma