Notes to My Daughter About Cake

 

I'll never forget the first time I heard the words to 'Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen,' the 1997 hit spoken to music by Baz Luhrman. It was 1999, I'd just given birth to my daughter and the words resonated for me.

'Sunscreen,' was a worldwide musical hit, but originally written for a column in The Chicago Tribune by journalist Mary Scmich. To me it's a brilliant piece of 20th/21st century writing, a poignant, understated 'list' of what we should have known when we were younger - but didn't - because we were too young to know.

I believe every young woman should read it (but of course they won’t, and even if they do it won’t mean anything, that’s the point). I recently bought a copy to give to my now 13-year-old and I will give it to her with tears in my eyes and she’ll think: ‘Oh no there goes mum again...’ She’ll humour me, but won't read it and no doubt continue to think I’m uncool... and probably tell me so.

Anyway, inspired by the sentiment behind. ‘Wear Sunscreen,’ I decided to write my own version and blog it. I'm no poet and it can't begin to compare with the brilliant writing of Mary Schmich, it's just notes on life and cake from me to my daughter Eve. 

And one day in the future my baby might stumble across this on the internet when I’m not here anymore. She will be older, perhaps a mum herself, CEO of a company, a waitress or a rock star - but when she finds it, you never know, she might just think: ‘My mum knew stuff , she was cool after all.’

Or not...

 

Notes to My Daughter About Cake

If I only offered you one tip for the future, 'eat cake,' would be it.

Know that there are times when only warm, golden-sponged solace will provide comfort in this cold, salad leaf world.

Know life is short and every pink, glittery second counts. Don't waste it.

Know it doesn’t really matter how you look or what you weigh, just love being you.

Know those gorgeous models are starved and photoshopped.

Know those men that hurt you are ‘bye bye.’

Know you rock.

Know it’s ok to dance, anywhere and everywhere, anytime.

Know you don’t have to beat yourself up if you eat a doughnut. Eat three doughnuts... hell, get a store card for Krispy Creme.

Know you can be anything you want to be at any time in your life...only you can stop you.

Know that no-one has the answers to everything, but believe in yourself and you’ll find your way home.

And know you don't have to listen to your mother and it's ok to live your own damned life.

But trust me ... on the cake.

 

Eve.