Letter To My Daughter: “You Have Shown Me How Strong I Can Be”
April 30, 2017
Welcome to Letters To My Daughter, a series of web posts celebrating mother-daughter relationships this Mother’s Day. Five mums share heartfelt, honest notes to their girls, to express their love and to empower them with their words of wisdom.
This letter is from The SIngapore Women’s Weekly’s Editor-in-Chief Barbara Koh, to her daughter Sarah Swee, who is in her final term at Nanyang Technological University.
Dear Sarah,
As you ready yourself for the working world, I’m excited for you! There is much to be accomplished and much to grab hold of, but it takes a seeker, a pursuer, an adventurer. And though I hope for only pain-free days for you, knocks, challenges and setbacks are inevitable. And that’s when I hope you’ll turn to this letter – to seek relief from that sting.
You are a strong young woman, and let no one tell you otherwise. Your mental capacity and ability to focus and stay motivated to achieve a goal is admirable. Continue to live life passionately and let time be your teacher, harness it to build your inner strength.
Growing up, I had the privilege of growing up in the household of a super-strong, super-independent grandmother, but it was only after I had you that I discovered that I too possessed such strength. You showed me I could be a power mum – not a tiger mum, and not a perfect mum by any means, but someone who could happily juggle work and family life. Being able to raise you well counts as one of my life’s achievements, and I’m thankful that you’ve helped bring that out in me. Just as my grandma was an example and source of strength for me, I hope that I will be that role model for you.
Exploring Hong Kong together.
I’m glad that even at such a young age, you have had the opportunity to see many parts of the world, and that has helped you develop a wider perspective on things. Savour your youth and use this time to explore different places, soaking in different cultures and experiences so you’ll have a better understanding of human nature and, more importantly, to develop a bigger heart for humankind.
You are blessed with skills and talents, which I know are life assets. When time comes for you to lead, do it with humility. The leaders who have stood out for me have not been those who graduated with first class honours or come from an Ivy League school, but those who are people centric – the servant leaders who inspire, who treat people with dignity… It doesn’t mean settling or expecting less, but by valuing people, the extraordinary will arise from the normal, naturally.
Sharing a lippie passion!
On love… He is not your man if you need to see him change because he loves you; he is not your man if he constantly tears you down; and he is certainly not your man if he continues to break your heart and spirit with his words and actions. The man for you is the man who shares your values and beliefs, and who is unafraid for you to be the best person you are – in fact, he will be your anchor and the wind beneath your wings.
A special mother-daughter moment: Getting same (almost) tattoos! Sarah’s says “faith” in Korean characters.
Let not the world brand you. Gen X, Gen Y, Millenial… it is okay to be a-typical. Be unashamed of virtues such as integrity, honesty, decency. These are what will keep you timelessly beautiful. Develop substance from within. Be upright. Be bold. And most importantly, keep the faith. I know these traits will carry you well through life. So fly, my little butterfly!
You’ll Always Be My Baby. Love, Mum
To celebrate Mother’s Day, Shiseido has created five special, pampering gift sets. Named Strength, Time, Youth, Extravagance and Luminosity, they are specially curated to pamper mums with different lifestyles and needs. Just pick the one that suits that special woman in your life.
Even super mums can run out of steam. Shiseido Power Infusing Coffret features a full-sized Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrateto recharge her inner strength and unleashes her skin’s untapped power to fend off environmental and emotional stress. Your gift to her: Unfading youth.
Shiseido Power Infusing Coffret, $105 (worth $160), includes: Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate (full size); Vital-Perfection Treatment Cleansing Foam (30 ml); Vital-Perfection White Revitalizing Softener (25 ml); and Vital-Perfection White Revitalizing Emulsion (15 ml).
Indulge your mum with Shiseido Power Infusing Coffret, available here.
TIME: For The Stay-At-Home Mum
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She is the heart of your home and the epitome of unwavering love. Shiseido Everlasting Beauty Coffret gives her skin the same dedicated care and brings out her timeless beauty with a full-sized Benefiance Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam and Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Emulsion. It smoothens out wrinkles and replenishes tired skin with a reservoir of moisture.
Shiseido Everlasting Beauty Coffret, $144 (worth $219), includes: Benefiance Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam (full size); Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Emulsion (full size); Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Balancing Softener Enriched (75 ml); Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Emulsion (15 ml); Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate (10 ml); Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Protective Hand Revitalizer (15 ml); and Shiseido Makeup Rouge Rouge (2.5 g).
Indulge your mum with Shiseido Everlasting Beauty Coffret, available here.
YOUTH: For The Multi-Tasking Mum
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No matter how busy she is, she always makes time for everyone in the family. Over time, her tireless devotion and comforting smiles can lead to expression lines. Shiseido Youth Restoring Coffret features a full-sized Vital-Perfection Wrinklelift Cream to plump her skin up with pure retinol for a wrinkle-free mien and a confident smile.
Indulge your mum with Shiseido Youth Restoring Coffret, available here.
LUMINOSITY: For The Active Mum
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She is your tennis partner and favourite travel mate, but constant sun exposure is beginning to plague her with age spots. Shiseido Perfect Revitalizing Coffret features a full-sized Vital-Perfection White Circulator Serum to interrupt the appearance of age spots and expel melanin for ageless skin with a translucent luminosity.
Shiseido Perfect Revitalizing Coffret, $196 (worth $416), includes: Vital-Perfection White Circulator Serum (full size); Vital-Perfection Treatment Cleansing Foam (50 ml); Vital-Perfection White Revitalizing Softener (75 ml); Vital-Perfection White Revitalizing Emulsion (30 ml); Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate (15 ml); and Vital-Perfection Sculpting Lift Cream (7 ml).
Indulge your mum with Shiseido Perfect Revitalizing Coffret, available here.
EXTRAVAGANCE: For The Discerning Mum
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A woman of impeccable taste, she deserves the very best. Shiseido Ultra Luxe Coffret features a full-sized Future Solution LX Ultimate Regenerating Serum with cutting-edge Skingenecell 1P and the highest grade of Premium Uji Green Tea Extract to defend and rejuvenate every skin cell, and envelop her skin with an elegant floral scent and exquisite texture. The ultimate pampering for mum!
Indulge your mum with Shiseido Ultra Luxe Coffret, available here.
Capture Your Mother-Daughter Love
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This Mother’s Day, the Shiseido team will help transform you and your mum with a professional makeover, and capture the magical moment at a photo shoot.
Date: May 6 and 7 Venue: Park Royal on Pickering, Presidential Suite Receive a beautiful door gift, complimentary skin consultation and canapés, PLUS stand a chance to win attractive prizes* at a lucky draw!
To enjoy this experience, register with every $300 nett spent, fully redeemable for Shiseido products.RSVP here.
*Prizes include Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, PowerShot SX620 HS, SELPHY CP1200, OSIM uPamper 2, Park Royal on Pickering LIME Restaurant Weekday Buffet Lunch Treat for 2, Park Royal on Pickering LIME Restaurant Weekday Buffet Dinner Treat for 2, a pair of SEIKO Lukia Ladies Timepiece.
