Raising little girls, scary or exciting?

I have two daughters! Holy crap, how did that happen? For some reason when I found out our first was a boy I was not at all surprised and it felt like what I expected.

Maybe it is because my husband was one of three boys, or maybe because my whole life I was more of a "one of the guys" kind of girl...but a part of me expected that I would not have a daughter....a mom who had a brood of little boys. Well clearly that theory was wrong.

So here I am, a mama with one over active, joy of a son and TWO little ladies. So why might the thought of raising daughter scare me? I mean I am a girl and I turned out okay, so I should know how girls should be raised, right?

Well I guess the answer to that is both yes and no.

Yes, I would like to think I know what it means to be a woman in today's world, that I know what kind of love and guidance my girls will need to be happy and mentally healthy.
But I also know that it can be hard to be a girl in today's world, that no matter what my husband and I do, not matter how much we love them, that they may fall victim to some of the social pressures and expectations that plague the young girls of today.

I worry for them.

I worry that they may be made to feel ugly, weak, stupid. That they will look at other women, movie stars, models and friends and feel like they are less than them, that they are not good enough.

I worry about them being confident enough to be alone. I know too many women who end up in relationships and friendships that are not right, or that they settle into just because they do not know how to be alone, to be happy just with who they are without someone else justifying this for them.

I desperately want them to feel like they are good at many things. ....not just that they are pretty, or smart...but that they have self-worth that comes from many places. I want to be sure that if they fail at one thing that they can find happiness in and feel good about something else.

I want them to know that they can always come home..no matter what, no questions asked. It terrifies me to think that some girls do certain things or stay in bad situations out of desperation and no where to turn.

I want them to find happiness, to know who they are, to know how a good man (or woman) should treat them, to find real love, to love their family.

But I am excited about these two little ladies and what the future has in store for them (and for us). I am going to remember the mistakes I made, the wonderful lessons my mother and grandmother taught me, the words that I wish someone had spoken to me.

I am optimistic that they will have great lives. They certainly have a great role model in their father, and I would like to believe in me too.

One thing is for certain and that is that I love them with all of my heart and that I would die to protect them. I am also pretty sure their big brother loves them as much as I do..so here's to hoping he looks out for my girls.