To my daughter,

致我的女儿，

Don’t apologize when someone else bumps¹ into you. Don’t say ‘sorry to be such a pain.’ You’re not a pain. You’re a person with thoughts and feelings who deserves respect.

别人撞到你的时候，不用道歉。不用说“抱歉给你带来了麻烦。”你不是一种麻烦。你是一个有思想、有感觉且应该被尊重的人。

Don’t make up reasons as to why you can't go out with a guy you don't wanna go out with. You don’t owe anyone an explanation. A simple ‘no thanks’ should be acceptable².

你不想跟某个人约会的时候，你不用编造无法跟他约会的理由。你不需要向任何人解释。一个简简单单的“不，谢谢”就可以了。

Don't overthink what you eat in front of people. If you're hungry, eat, and eat what you want. If you want pizza, don't get a salad just because other people are around. Order the damn³ pizza.

当你在人前吃东西的时候，不用想太多。如果你饿了，那就去吃点你想吃的东西。如果你想吃披萨，不用因为其他人也在就点一份沙拉。点披萨就好。

Don't keep your hair long to make someone else happy.

不用为了让某个人高兴就留长发。

Don't wear a dress if you don't want to.

如果你不想穿裙子那就不要穿。

Don’t stay home because you don't have anyone to go out with. Take yourself out. Have experiences by yourself and for yourself.

不要因为没人约你出去就呆在家里。自己出去逛逛。你可以为了自己独自去体验一下。

Don't hold back your tears. Crying means you're feeling something that needs to get out. It's not a weakness. It’s being human.

不用强忍着泪水。哭泣意味着你有需要发泄的情绪。这不是一个弱点。人都会这样。

Don’t smile because someone told you to.

不用因为某人让你笑你就笑。

Don’t be afraid to laugh at your own jokes.

就算是你自己讲的笑话，也不用不敢笑。

Don’t say ‘yes’ to be polite. Say ‘no’ because it’s your life.

不要为了礼貌而说“好的”，因为这是你的人生，所以你可以说“不”。

Don’t hide your opinions. Speak up and speak loudly. You should be heard.

不用隐藏你的观点。你可以大声的说出来。你应该让别人了解你的想法。

Don’t apologize for being who you are. Be brave and bold and beautiful. Be unapologetically you.

不用为做自己而感到抱歉。做一个无畏、果敢又出色的人。理直气壮地做你自己。

Some people were quick to agree with her letter.

她的信很快就得到了一些人的认可。