Posted by Anne Hillman, a resident of the Portola Valley: Central Portola Valley neighborhood, on Jun 17, 2009 at 9:08 am

I love Barbara Wood's writing. This one made me cry--not just once--but for a second time when I read it aloud to my husband. He cried too. Though the specifics may be different for each one of us, I think every child needs to hear this kind of message from parents, not to speak of the child in all of us who waits inside for confirmation. It is so essential to be seen and loved for who we are. Perhaps this "Letter to my Daughter" could be more widely published to reinforce those parents and teachers who are trying in the face of student desperation to let their kids know they don't have to succeed on the culture's terms--rather, that it's more than enough to be themselves.

Anne Hillman

Portola Valley