The letter:

Dear Daughter,

Unfortunately, in life there are times you will not be valued. Do not stay where you are not valued. Do not waste time in self-pity because someone did not value you. Your value, your worth, comes from your heart, not from someone else.

Today you were rejected by someone. Your heart felt broken, it was not. You even trusted the person who did not value you. They led you to believe they valued hard work, passion, off-season dedication, and attitude. They led you to believe these qualities were important to them when in fact to them they are not. Your heart hurts because you believed the words of someone who let you down. You are better leaving when you are not valued.

It is ok and normal to grieve when you close a chapter in your life and start another. Do not confuse self-pity for grief. Grief is part of celebrating what was joyful and good, grief is sadness to saying good-bye, grief is leaving to move onto the next journey. Self-pity is subjecting yourself to another person’s power. Self-pity is allowing imperfect people’s errors to consume your energy. 

It is ok to grieve today and tomorrow to focus on what’s next. Take all your hard work, all your contributions, all your passion, all your heart, and put it to the next thing. Do not feel like everything you did for all those years was a waste. It was not. You are the amazing person you are because of your journey. 

You will be able to recognize the next time you are not valued easier and when that happens (because it will), you will have the strength, experience, and self-worth to leave it. You might be in a friendship, a relationship, or a job where you are not valued. You will have the strength, experience, and self-worth to leave it. You can even grieve leaving, but you will know your value in your heart and you will take all that hard work, passion, energy, and attitude and apply it to your next journey. 

You will not be valued by some people. People are imperfect. Leave those who do not value you. Grieve the closing of one chapter and then move onto the next journey. 

Be proud of what you value. Be proud of your hard work, be proud of the attitude you displayed, be proud of the sportsmanship you demonstrated, be proud of the energy you expended and be proud of the skills you developed. You put yourself out there when others wouldn’t step into the arena. You gave your heart. It was hurt, not broken. Give your heart again to your next journey.

You will have the strength to leave when you are not valued again. You will grieve again. Your journey will be more amazing than the last because of it. It wasn’t for nothing. It was for the next thing. 

I can’t wait to see you shine again in your next journey!

Love,

Mom