Do you ever look into your child’s eyes and wonder?

Who will they become when they grow into an adult?

What things will be important to them?

What memories will they reflect on, to make them happy?

What goals and dreams will they have?

I look into the eyes of my Halle Bug in this picture, and I see determination and peace.

I have no doubt that she will become a beautiful young women in a split second, because I have seen five sisters do it before her.  She will struggle with friends at school, a little anxiety, and the need to be loved.  She will go a little crazy between the ages of 11-14 and I will wonder where my sweetheart went, for a season.  But then, from her cocoon, she will emerge a young lady – ready to face the world.

Her wings will be ready to test out the winds.  She will be thinking of the life ahead of her, and how she will be in it. 

Because I am her mother, I can see clearly her strengths.

I know she is a leader, because children already flock to her and listen to every word she says.  I know she will be funny and witty.  She will have spunk, and find a way to get things done.  I know she has a tender heart, because I see her love of animals and people that need a hug. I know she will be loved by many, and struggle to see the beauty inside of her at times, and this breaks my heart.  

At the age of six, you know you are pretty, and funny, and talented.

When someone tells you, you smile and say, “I know”.

What happens as a young girl grows, that she forgets and is blind to her beauty?  I would dare say that it is the same thing that happens to older women.  We are hard on ourselves.  We are hard on other women.  We feel that somehow we will never be good enough, and those messages crush.

My prayer for Halle, the rest of my daughters, girls, and women – is that we can keep reminding ourselves, and each other that we are beautiful.  We can achieve anything we want to achieve, if we are patient.  Patient with time, and each other.  Patient with our failures. 

 The answer is to wake up each day, and pray.

Pray that we can smile, and make people around us smile.

When we smile, I believe we give ourselves the permission to be positive, and in doing that one simple thing, we lend a gift of happiness to others, and that continues on further than you could ever imagine.

My prayer today, is that I will smile

I hope you will to

This is love