I had to teach my daughter ...

I had to teach my daughter to pray
Being her mother would not be enough
I had to be the God in her
I stood over her as she prayed calling the names of our ancestors, not even understanding her own lineage
I had to teach her that there was gold in her blood, there were diamonds in her eyes and that she was born with silk as her skin
I had to teach my daughter how to pray
How to thank God and still seek him for more
How to ask for balance and focus at six years old because this is when she will need it the least but learn it the fastest
I had to tell her to save her tears for the men and the women she can’t get back instead of the toys most children don’t even have
I had to stop being her mother for a second and let God take care of her
I had to be her witness instead
I had to be her soldier instead
I had to be her friend instead
I had to teach my daughter how to pray
Because being a mother isn’t always enough
Because my superpowers wear out sometimes
Because when she cries, I cry too
Because God has always been a better parent
And even though I’m her mother, I’m still HIS child
Sometimes I had to take a step back and go to work
She is my job
It is my duty to raise a kind, compassionate and courteous human being
It is my job to light up her path with skittles the color of the sun
It is my job to introduce her to the water of womanhood, nourish her soul with it and carry her until she can swim in it without losing her breath
I had to teach my daughter to pray
And as it required, I had to pray too.