“Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3 (NIV)
God certainly knew He was blessing me when the stick showed two lines a little over 13 years ago. This summer, God allowed me the time to treasure what it means to be a mom to my daughter…
Whether being asked to paint designs on her newly painted nails, or getting our hair dyed the same color or going to her for clothes advice, I’m blessed to be her mom.
I love that we share an interest in inspirational fiction and even some true life stories. I love that we share similar tastes in movies. I love that she is old enough to want to help cook. I love her creative ideas and watching her babysit, taking over the care of a one-year-old with the ease of a grown up.
I love that she knows her mind and what she wants to do for a living already… taking the steps she needs to start achieving those goals. I love that she has a tender heart and a sweet spirit… wanting to grow closer to God and making choices that she knows will please Him. I love that she has godly mentors in her life that breathe life into her, encouraging her in the true definition of being a woman versus the pull of what the world believes. I love that she’s always up for an adventure and remembering the memories we made this summer still brings a smile to my face.
I love that she still wants to spend time with me despite the fact she is growing up and the pull of friendship and friends’ activities is strong. I love talking deep, wrestling with spiritual truths and how to best articulate them to others. I love the fact that she has such a forgiving spirit when in the heat of the moment I use my “mean face and angry voice” because I’m frustrated, not so much at her but feeling overwhelmed and sharing those feelings when she doesn’t deserve them.
I love that God blessed me with three children here and one waiting for me in Heaven. I love that God sandwiched our daughter between two boys. I love that she likes to put puzzles together and go to the movies and take walks and explore her interests and still invites me along for the journey. I love that her personality is so unique and special, so unlike her brothers who are also unique and different from each other.
I love that God chose to let me stop and take the time to savor these moments… the ones that are fleeting and soon will be only in my memory. I love that we still have six more years with this daughter that God designed especially for our family. I’m glad that God blessed me to be her mom.
Do you have any special memories from the middle school years, or especially with a daughter of any age that you would like to share with the rest of us? If so, please share below.
© Cheri Swalwell 2016