“Be Sweet.”

Sadie and Mackenzie,

We’re waiting for you. Patiently, anxiously, steadfastly waiting for you.

I get it. You don’t want to leave the comfort of your mommy’s tummy. It’s safe. It’s familiar. And you don’t want to meet all of the crazy people who have been talking to you, poking at you, and singing to you.

But we’re ready. We want to meet the two of you so badly. In many ways, you are already a blessing to many people.

I want you to know that the world can be scary and mean. People, although they were created to be beautiful, are sometimes very ugly. And I mean inwardly. You should never, ever judge someone by what they look like. Ever.

There are wars and fights and sometimes you may wonder if there’s any good left in the world. You may look around you and think that you are surrounded by darkness and evil. If you’re ever in that situation, I hope that you find it in yourself to become the shining light that the world desperately needs.

If you ever think that seems like a daunting task, just know two things:

First, you have already been a shining light in the lives of many…before you were even born!

Second, you are profoundly, crazily loved. Not only by the family and friends in your life, but by the God who stitched you in your mother’s womb…picked out every detail about you…what color your hair would be, the shape of your eyes, if you would have your grandma’s giving heart or your grandpa’s sense of adventure…everything has already been determined. And all the good, all the bad—that makes you, YOU.

And you are loved, because and despite of all of those qualities. Isn’t that amazing?

Even if you make a mistake: if you fail a test, break someone’s heart, or disappoint your parents—you can never do anything to change the intensity of love your family and God have for you.

Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up. I promise, the day will come when you can shave your legs, drive a car, and get a job. But with those days also comes heart break and bills to pay and worries to face. Prolong it as long as you can.

Savor the moments your parents demand you go to bed. There will come a time when you don’t have time to sleep because you’re up studying for midterms or working late.

Cherish the times you get to play outside on the trampoline and play hide and seek with each other. There will come a time when technology overtakes your life and the sense of freedom and abandonment that came with carelessly running around will vanish into days of yore.

When Zachary or Trinity pick on you or drink your chocolate milk, as crazy as you think I am…appreciate it. There will come a time when they leave and the only remnants of your fighting and teasing and laughing are the echoes that carry down the hallway.

Always be yourself. I know that you will probably face this challenge daily because you have a twin. But just because you spent time together before sharing the same birthday doesn’t mean you have to compare yourself to your sister. You are unique and beautiful, and there could never be a more beautiful you.

You were made for a specific purpose, and if you’re too busy trying to imitate the girls at school, you could miss what you’re supposed to fulfill.

Don’t worry about trying to figure out what that purpose is. It will come to you. Probably on a day you aren’t expecting it. Maybe you’ll be at school in the middle of a math class doodling how bored you are, or soaking in a bathtub after an excruciating day at work, or sitting in a wheelchair blowing out 90 candles on your birthday cake. Or maybe you’ll never know what your purpose is. But that doesn’t mean you haven’t fulfilled it.

I believe that, regardless of whether or not you know it, your life is purposeful. Your presence makes an impact on each and every person you meet, whether you want it to or not.

Because of that, it’s important to be sweet. Love one another for who they are, not who you want them to be or what you want from them.

Treat each person as though they matter—because they do.

And if someone doesn’t treat you or someone else like they are a human being, stand up to them and be fearless. Notice I didn’t say mean or careless, but strong and brave. When you do what’s right, you’ll be repaid a million times over. Unfortunately, some people take out their feelings of failure and insecurities on others because that’s the only way they know how to feel good. That’s pretty sad, but you don’t have to sink to that level, and I expect that you won’t.

Tie yourself to your mother. Even when she yells at you or hurts your feelings, she didn’t mean to hurt you. She wants the best for you, in every situation, always. As angry as you may be with her at times, or as anxiously as you wait for the day you can move out, there will come a point when you realize that she always loved you and she will become your best friend. For your sake, I hope that that happens sooner in life rather than later.

If you ever look at your future with uncertainty or fear, look to God instead. When you focus on God, He will take care of your future and you won’t ever have to want for anything. When times get tough and you don’t know how you’ll make it another day, go outside and just sit in the middle of nature (if they even have nature in the future…hopefully they haven’t industrialized everything) and soak up the serenity that surrounds you in that quiet space.

The worries and fears of life can wait. Don’t let them control you. Live your life without fear, never worrying about what you’ll fail at, but rather imagining all that you can achieve. You’ll get much further in life that way.

I know that the two of you will grow up to be beautiful, loving, kind women. I can’t wait to watch you succeed in life and be there when you fail to make sure that you get back up and keep trying.

Because as long as you keep trying, that’s all that really matters in life.