Dear Daughter,

As you know, I’m a huge fan of Pippi Longstocking. I mean, how can you not be? Probably every girl growing up in Sweden can relate. Pippi influenced me a lot growing up in Sweden. I loved her spunk, and I still do. My friends and I would play Pippi outside all day, climbing trees, going out for picnics and on walks to the local candy store to buy some candy after school. Just like Pippi. We did everything except lifting horses and chasing cops!

The thing I loved the most about Pippi was her fearless open-minded approach and attitude, and I want you to be more like Pippi. Sometimes we just need to say - screw it, and go for it. Don’t be afraid to try new things even though it’s scary. You know how grandma and grandpa always would tell stories about how shy I was when I was young? For years, every time when we would go to Sweden in the summer Grandma and Grandpa would say -Oh, imagine Madlene, that you moved to another country by yourself, you were such a chicken! But I made it my mission to look fear in the eye and force myself to try new things. I would tell myself - what is the worst thing that could happen? I’m not going to die, so I will be fine. It worked. I might have been nervous going on job interviews or presenting to a big group for the first time, but I didn’t die.

Every time I’ve stared fear in the eye is when I’ve made decisions that would determine where my life went. If I had not conquered my fear and followed my heart I would not be where I am today. I decided that I was going to go to college in the US even though my parents weren’t sold on the idea, and I was super scared to go. My heart said go, and I went. When I was scared to talk to my boss at my internship in NYC about a job (walked back and forth in the hallway 5 times before I knocked on his office door), but I did it. When I decided to stay in this country alone, while my entire family was in Sweden. What gets scarier than that? When I’ve gotten job offers that pushed me to grow as a person. Scary, but I didn’t die!

Pippi never doubts for a minute that she is not going to be successful, and you shouldn’t either. After all, you are half Swedish!

Ps. I might or might not, go up in the attic to find your Pippi doll as a reminder….!

Love,

Mamma