I read a good article the other day about encouraging young girls in their interests instead of in their looks. I heartily agreed. In this day and age, and particularly in our culture- external beauty is grossly overemphasized and idolized.
However, today, as daughter and I were cuddled up watching the latest American Girl Movie, Saige– I felt impressed to whisper, “You are beautiful.” At first I hesitated because I don’t want her to focus too much on all that- but, it felt right.
Don’t we all, deep down (or not so deep down) want to hear “You are beautiful?”
The movie was about finding your voice and following your dreams, so we did that, both of us today.
I said, “How about a photo shoot?!”
She excitedly agreed.
I told her she could bring out a special animal too, to be included in some of the pictures. I assumed that she would gather one of her horse toys or stuffed animals, but, I should have known, she wanted to have “Major” and “Bubbles”, live animals that she has recently found! Just when I think we are so similar, I remember this thriving animal love Darling Daughter possesses.
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way they should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (emphasis added).
Meet Major:
And the beloved Bubbles:
wildlife treasures; nurturing those ’round,
unafraid of dirt,
so you can enjoy real beauty, found near;
adventures to be had,
uncharted land to explore,
and the tender pangs that surface in the bloom-
and this moment together, sacred,
slowly savoring time, if but for a day,
with you-
realized the other day that you only have nine years left at home with
us- you are half-way through already.”
the moments more. As the classic ABBA songs states, “She keeps on growing, slipping through my fingers
all the time” (see the beautiful scene here from Mamma Mia, the movie).
being present with my daughter. So, instead of my usual beat-myself-up
and feel guilty about it; I decided to take today and remedy that (it
helped that Hubby, Sunshine Head and TNT were off being men up north-
building hunting blinds and tree forts, eating over the fire, peeing in
the woods, and conquering nature as males).
