You were Pastor-Kid Flo. The perfect daughter in everyone’s eyes. The one expected never to fail, never to stumble, never to make a sound that didn’t reflect the church’s expectations.
You were meant to be in the choir, in the front row at every service, wearing dresses, speaking softly, excelling at school, and never questioning the rules. You were told who to be friends with, how to behave, and what to dream.
Every expectation felt heavy, like invisible chains that followed you wherever you went. You smiled, nodded, and obeyed, even when your heart wanted to explore, to laugh freely, to speak your mind, to make mistakes and learn from them. You felt guilty for wanting things that didn’t fit the “perfect daughter” mold.
And yet, somewhere deep inside, a quiet voice whispered: You are more than their expectations.
It took years to understand what that meant. That perfection was never yours to own. It was borrowed from the hopes and rules of others. That brilliance isn’t measured only in grades or applause in the choir. That being good in God’s eyes doesn’t mean being invisible in your own life.
The freedom came slowly. In learning to honor your own heart, your own voice, your own dreams, you discovered the most sacred truth: being a Pastor’s kid doesn’t mean being a perfect human. It means being a child of God, and that gift includes room to grow, stumble, explore, and rise.
So, to you, Younger Me: it’s okay to not have it all together. It’s okay to speak, to question, to dream beyond the pews. You were always meant to be more than “perfect.” You were always meant to be you.
And one day, you will finally see that the chains were never yours to carry.
With love,
Florence 💕
ReflectWithFlo