My little love’s sentence structures are growing in length and complexity with each passing day.  Her ability to communicate her needs and desires with thoughtful clarity is beautiful to witness.  I feel privileged to be a part of my daughter’s greater conversation, as her words continue to open up new windows into her life.

From her birth onwards, I have spent countless hours having “conversations” with her.  I narrated every mundane aspect of our day and made up silly rhymes and songs, pausing  for her input, which she eagerly gave with a gurgle, arm wave, or smile.

Her one word answers were thrilling.  Her two-word phrases were mind-blowing, and her thought out, reflective responses are humbling.  During her bath the other night she touched her hair, informing me, “My hair blonde too.  I like mommy.”

From the mouth of a toddler, such a simple observation becomes weighted with significance.  I hope to live life in a way that makes my daughter proud, and to be an example of the kind of woman that she will want to become.

A Prayer for my Daughter:

Dear Heavenly Father, this world can be an overwhelming place for mothers and daughters.  I pray for the grace and wisdom needed to mold me into a worthy example for my precious love to follow.  I pray for her sweet spirit, for her boundless energy, and for her strength of character.  Thank you for your endless love and patience, and for perfecting each of us in your own time.  Amen.

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things” (Ecclesiastes 11:5 NIV).