My daughters have had several coaches, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and other adult figures influence their hearts and minds.

And after years of dining room table, early morning drives, and campfire conversations, a few threads have emerged.

Below is my attempt to stitch them together.

If you give a girl some confidence,

She’s going to try hard things.

And when she tries hard things, she will

fail,

struggle,

and get discouraged.

But because you gave her confidence, she doesn’t lose hope.

If you give a girl some confidence,

She puts in extra hours

after homework,

enduring the cold,

ignoring the moon.

Because you gave her some confidence, she grows a little more.

If you give a girl some confidence,

She is safe.

And because she is safe, she

shares her tears,

shouts her joys,

and believes your words.

Because you gave her confidence, she listens for your voice.

If you give a girl some confidence,

She has options and she

dreams,

thinks,

tries,

and works for her coming world.

Because you gave her confidence, she finds her voice.

All because you gave that girl some confidence.