Letter to my daughter


My little mongrel,

You don’t exist yet. So far, your mother’s egg didn’t date my best swimmers. I didn’t even meet the woman you may one day call mom.

But I can picture you already. I can picture your pretty stubborn face, your mischievous eyes and your naughty smile.

My little mongrel,

I want to apologize for the world you're going to find when you get here.

A world of screamers and bleaters. A world of spoiled brats who break everything they touch. And believe the Earth is a buffalo chicken wing they can suck to the bone.

A world where only a few have real access to happiness. While the rest is left fighting and dying for a football game or a barrel of oil.

A world where a mother’s only ambition is to find a nest for her daughter. So she can in turn become a mother. Where a father’s sole aspiration is to get under the skirt of the raunchy neighbor with big boobs.

A world where men are so afraid of women, they’ll do everything to keep their illusive power, like good old arab dictators.

My little mongrel,

I'll have the privilege watching you grow. Watching the playful baby turn into an ungrateful teen, then into a beautiful and divine woman.

Yes, divine.

And the hell with those who believe that God is a bearded chauvinist. Those who confuse love, marriage and slavery. Those who forget that without women's rights there can be no human rights.

My little mongrel,

Promise me to never forget your absolute right to happiness.

I don’t mean the make-believe happiness that fills our TV screens. Where people come begging for a little attention, for a brief moment under the sun, for a lousy applause and a cheap cheer.

Happiness comes down to one simple word : Be.

Live your dreams. All of them. Always dare. Love. Create.

But I must warn you, it will not be easy. Because all those who missed their train will go out of their way to make you miss yours. They will tell you about comfort. About security. About husbands and children. About tax and mortgage. Inviting you into the cozy prison of their uneventful life.

But don’t worry. I will always be here, by your side, sword in hand.

We’ll tell them to fuck off. We’ll laugh at their mediocrity. We’ll cry when your heart gets roughed up. And get drunk to celebrate your first successful date.

Together we will conquer the world. A world according to you. The only world worth living in.


© Claude El Khal, 2011


Comments

Anonymous said…
Très touchant Claude, surtout pour moi. Ma fille a 13ans et demi, "ungrateful teen??" :)
Très triste aussi, ta façon de décrire le monde est si triste et vraie que ça fout les boules.
Bonne continuation...
A bientôt
Michel
Fady A sur FB said…
C'est très bon mais un peu caricatural; je pense que c'est bien voulu.
Les réalités de la vie à Paris, à Dubai ou au Liban ne sont certainement pas comparables à celles de la vie au Canada par exemple ou aux USA! Le bonheur y est bien plus facilement accessible! Depuis qques années peu de nouveaux projets démarrent en raison des critiques des environementalistes...Le bonheur est dans la nature...et la nature est très généreuse dans ce coin-ci du monde! Trouves toi une belle québecoise et ta future fille va rire de ton texte...
Chantal S. said…
Claude,
I really enjoyed reading your blog post!It made me want to protect your un-born daughter!I am sure that you will be a great father, thinking like this!
Cheers!
PS: I love the celebration part!
Anonymous said…
Waw, how true! People should live and let live. Live as adults and let children live as children. The key is to protect your child's innocence from the mediocrity and the shallowness of this world. Don't allow them to regret their times past because you weren't there to advice. People's minds are mirror to their behaviours. What your child is today will be his reality tomorrow, fight for his soul now so he can have an enlightened future, so their eyes can reflect your beautiful heart, and their smile reflect your true good sole and their face say that Love and Love and Love is the right path within the family, at work, and with friends … Maybe it’s hard to do all this, but would be fair to try … Rachel Zoghbi Azzi
Ipshi said…
This truly struck a chord. Thank you.