the gift

somedays when i look into those big brown eyes of yours

 i still see you as this little girl

yet today

as i look in those big brown eyes

this is the beautiful young woman i see

its hard for me to believe

that you went from my angel baby

to the captain of the cheerleading squad

in the blink of an eye

from this contemplative little girl

to this contemplative young woman

i want to share some thoughts
that i actually wrote last year..

so today i do have a cosmic question
there might not be an answer
per say
& i don't know that i even need an answer



you see
i have a daughter
who loves many
& is loved by many

she is perpetually happy
& cheerful


she sees the good in all people
& gives the endless benefit of the doubt
to everyone
{something, i must sadly admit she did not inherit from me}

she is loyal
crazy loyal


for several years she looked just like the character that played Lucy Pevensie
in "The Chronicles of Narnia"
( she had the same bob & that precious round face)
not only one of my most favorite stories in literature
but undoubtedly
my favorite literary character

just like Lucy in Narnia, that's my Emily Austin

forgiving
innocent minded
&
trusting


so how do i teach a child to truly see the good
& trust people
to forgive

yet
at the same time
teach her that she can not blindly trust everyone

to see her loyalty as a priceless gift she chooses to give to another

how do i encourage her to be a friend to the friendless
yet
be careful because sometimes those friends
might not be good friends


that being loyal to her friends
might include asking adults to help
if that friend
that needs her loyalty
also needs some help
that might just be out of her league

as a innocent minded sweet 14 year old girl
how do i teach her to do
just as she has learned from scripture
to turn the other cheek
to do unto others as she would have them do unto her
&
yet
be careful
because not everyone will treat her
as the precious child she still is

there are people who will
take advantage of her loyalty
who will abuse her forgiveness

she has  strengths that are noble
i just want her to be careful



i don't want to come across as the jaded adult
or even just the realist that i am
its so hard....
letting them
be brave
when the bravery
is in the
giving
of
their
heart.....

dear emi

i truly believe you were the gift given to me

just weeks before your daddy passed away

the gift sent to remind me

that life would go on

it would need to go on

the gift sent to remind me to laugh

to really laugh

to love others

& have fun

my angel baby

i thank the lord for the gift of YOU

happy birthday sweet child

i love you more than you'll ever know