Dear Young Mother,

No matter how hard each stage is, it will pass just before you do.

Relax.

Teach the love of God, show the forgiveness of God, live the joy of God.

Share your troubles with other grown-ups, your child's shoulders are not wide enough to bear them.

Hug, kiss, laugh with, gush about and be loudly in love with their dad. Whenever possible, embarrass them with public displays of affection. You will know you are successful only if they are rolling their eyes.

If you were caught off guard with an unexpected pregnancy, be very sure that God was not.

If you don't feel that you can do enough for your child, you are right. Be very sure that God can.

Establish a bed time and stick to it.

Teach them to be someone others will like so that they will learn the pleasure of friendship instead of carrying the heartache of loneliness.

Teach them to be slow to take offense instead of dwelling together in pain. Teach them by example, words won't work for this lesson.

Don't wonder what you will do for this child, wonder what this child will do for the world. That's the reason they were born after all.

Tell them the truth or tell them nothing. And tell them when the truth is none of their business.

Insist on respect but be brave enough to hear their heart.

Hug them and if they don't hug you back, hug them harder and giggle while you do it.

Don't ever be so arrogant as to believe you can create life. But be very sure you have everything needed to create a life worth living.

Image: My unplanned baby.