To My Daughter With Love on the Important Things in Life

When I gave birth to my daughter, Jordanna, I never knew what a special relationship a mother and daughter could have. As my daughter got older and started to understand more about being a female, I felt as if I were once again going through many of the stages of growing up. I felt a very strong urge to protect Jordanna from anything that could possibly hurt her, but I knew that if I did this, it would hurt her later on because she would not be prepared to face the real world. So instead, I tried to show her and explain to her what I consider to be the important things in life.

Our mother-daughter relationship is comprised of a very deep understanding of and support for each other, and it is based on an enormous amount of emotion and love. There is no other relationship in the world where two women are so much like one.

Susan Polis Schutz Introduction to original edition (1985)

When I originally wrote this book, my daughter was just a little girl. Now all of a sudden she has grown into a beautiful young woman who is about to leave home for college.

The emotions surrounding this passage of time with Jordanna have led me to write new poems, which are included in this special updated edition of TO MY DAUGHTER WITH LOVE. It chronicles my philosophy, my worries, my love and my deepest feelings toward Jordanna, from when she was an infant through her high-school years.

Next year, when Jordanna is away from home, this book will remind her that it doesn't matter where she is, because home is where love and the heart reside.

Susan Polis Schutz (1997)