my dear ramona,

love your family. we are weird. we are flawed. we will say the wrong things. we will embarrass you. we will fight. but we love you. we will always let you be you and we will always listen to you. we are celebrating you every single day. take advantage of this wide support system you have in your parents, your grandparents, your aunts and uncles, your cousins.

love people, as you love yourself. people are fun! get to know them. all sorts of them. don’t let appearances or backgrounds necessarily get in the way of getting to know and love others. treat them well and you will open up for yourself a community of beings that will teach you so many different things. not everyone will love you back but that’s not the point and don’t let that hold you back. it doesn’t always happen exactly when you want, but love people honestly and you will make good and faithful friends.

love creatures, too. treat animals with respect and honor their lives by being conscious of and thankful for the gifts they are giving you with their bodies. pet them, feed them, talk to them, care for them. you will learn a lot by watching a brood of hens or a tribe of goats. and the quiet time and fresh air is good for your health and well-being.

love hard work. choose something you love and go after it ferociously. people say to find the thing you love to do for free and then find a way to get paid for it. i tend to agree with these people. but it won’t always be easy so be ready to fall in love with working working working at it. you will get rejected, you will make mistakes, you will fail. this is ok. usually, when these things happen, it helps you redirect or refocus your work. success does not usually look like your original goal. be flexible. but love what you do.

love excellence. love craft. love the underdog. love details and the big picture. love moving your body and jumping and dancing and singing. love the quiet and what you discover in moments of prayer and mediation. love the written word.

love deeply. too many people are too careful with love. they hoard it for the “right” moment. it is of my opinion that these people miss out. do not be afraid to love. 

love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

love yourself and know that you are loved.

i love you.

love, mama

.

read other letters to ramona bean over herehere, here, here, and here.

this post is done in collaboration with sakura bloom. the sling i am wearing is the simple linen in wheat. the beautiful photos are by lashley rhodes.

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29 Responses to sakura bloom sling diaries: LOVE

  1. Kelly says:

    this letter is so sweet. and that sling is so pretty!

  2. amy says:

    This reminds me of Vonnegut’s: “Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies—God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.”

  3. Kimmy says:

    Lashley takes lovely pictures doesn’t she.

    (love your writing)

  4. jamie says:

    sooooo sweet!

  5. robin says:

    This is fantastic! Love the letter, love the photos. Ramona will cherish this when she is older, what a great gift!

    • emily says:

      i really hope she does! it’s been really good for me to sit down each month (and now each theme in this series) and write stuff out about her. i can’t wait, myself, to look back at these letters.

  6. melinda sue says:

    love this. you have a lovely family.

    • emily says:

      why think you melinda sue.

      (i miss you and you need to write on your blog more 😉 please please tell me next time you are in denver).

  7. PJ says:

    Those are such beautiful photos! You look like a TV actress, but I can’t put my finger on it…

  8. kristen says:

    I really *love* these words. Oh, these baby wearing years are so beautiful. it’s a quick flash of time, a precious, beautiful flash. I think I’ll never ever forget the feel of my babies snuggled up on my chest and back. can’t wait to watch this project.

  9. Love the letter (especially the hard work paragraph) and adore the pictures, just like everyone else 🙂 So excited you’re participating in this series!

  10. Lizzie says:

    Great post, Em. Ramona will benefit forever and ever from her family both near and far. You all show love so freely and that, my dear, is the best gift a family can bestow on its children, and you have it in hoards. 🙂

  11. Jenny says:

    This is such a beautiful letter, with so many wonderful messages. You are an inspiring person–mama, woman, friend. Many blessings to you and your adorable family!

  12. Christy says:

    Beautiful photos! Her little bonnet in the first couple is adorable! Very sweet post!

    • emily says:

      thanks, christy! her bonnet is from a little beach front store called relish on anna maria island, a gift from her nona (my mother). i think they do online sales too.

  13. Carolee says:

    So touching. what a sweet little hat too!

  14. Dave says:

    Remarkably written. Beautiful words. Love deeply.

  15. mld says:

    you are full of love.

  16. Kim says:

    My favorite post of yours. Beautiful Em.

  17. Megan says:

    Ah, the sweetest little cheeks! This post gave me goosebumps. Just gorgeous 🙂

  18. Lorissa says:

    Emily, this post is like a warm drink on a cold day. It warms you from this inside and stays with you a while. You have captured the essence of God’s love and heaven on earth in your letter. Love. See people. Work. Nurture. Grace. Joy. All topped off with more grace. Love begets love, I believe. The photos moved me to tears even after the words already had. I especially like the nursing one. Motherhood suits you, friend. And I for one, have felt loved by you and know that Ramona follows in your footsteps. I love listening to you talk about your dreams and see you loving the things you do and this letter is some of the best darn advice I’ve ever read.

  19. AnnieM says:

    Hi Emily!
    I have a favor to ask you. I teach Childbirth and Baby Care Classes for our local hospital, and I was wondering if I could use one of these photos in my PowerPoint presentation? We talk about slings, baby carriers, etc..Your photos are sooooo beautiful!
    Thanks so much,
    Annie

  20. olya says:

    Such beautiful message and photos. I can imagine your daughter holding on to them as some of her greatest treasures as she grows up. Love.

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