“Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace.”
II Corinthians 1:12 (NIV)
I smile when I think of her.
She was born before routine ultrasounds were done and we didn’t know the sex of our babies until they were born. I wanted a boy because I already had a girl, so I cried when I heard the doctor say “it’s a girl.” I’m a little embarrassed to even admit that. But I only cried for a couple of seconds; just until they put her in my arms.
She was the prettiest of the four babies God gave me and I could tell when she looked at me the first time she was going to bring me lots of joy. Her middle name is Joy.
Each of my three daughters is unique. The all look similar with their blond hair and blue eyes but that is where the similarities end. Daughter number two has been, for lack of a better description, a delightful adventure. It has been a joy to watch her grow up and mature. She is the one who has reinvented herself over the past few years with God’s help. And every year she gets better.
She has three daughters of her own now and each of them has a little bit of her in them.
Her oldest daughter, looks like her Daddy but reminds me of her mom when she was in school. She is already a little social butterfly and you can tell she has the leadership traits her momma has. I know that trait usually goes to the eldest child but my daughter number two got it too. She was the cheerleader, homecoming attendant and president of of her senior class. She is a born leader.
My daughter number two also has a daughter number two who except for the blond hair doesn’t look anything like her either, but she also has some of her momma’s traits. She is the one who holds back until she decides whether she likes you but after you “pass the test” she is your best friend for life and so much fun.
Then there is her daughter number three, Zoe. She looks just like her Momma did when she was little, so of course I love to look at her and hold her. She is already her mother’s daughter. For example, what two year old do you know, who in a world of high tech toys and dolls, wants a baby goat for Christmas? A real one!
Daughter number two is someone who follows her heart. She went to college and got a degree in religion even though I told her it was not a marketable degree. She uses that degree now to teach her daughters the things of God and to help physically and mentally handicapped people and their families.
She now loves the simple life. With her cheerleading and homecoming attendant days behind her, she is happiest when she is in her garden teaching her little girls how and when to pick the asparagus or in her kitchen teaching them how to make cookies.
If you are at a point in your life now where you feel like your life has become too complicated, I would encourage you to follow my daughter’s example and find a way to simplify it. She has discovered great joy in the simple things of life.
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