Ever caught your little ones doing something and they didn't know you were watching? Sure, we all have caught our kids doing something that they weren't supposed to be doing! But what about those moments when you want to hit the pause button? Those moments when you need a professional documentarian here capturing it on film so you can replay it to your child when they are older and the pressures of this world have got them down.
I caught my Peanut looking at herself in the mirror. She walked right up to it and just stared. She has looked in the mirror all the time since she was quite young with wonder and amazement. Like other babies, both Peanut and Jelly Bean would look in the mirror and it was written all over their face, "Who is that? How did Mommy get in there?" And the cutest thing ever has been when they would look in the mirror and see me waving to them and turn around and see me waving to them. What confusion, but oh how adorable to see their reaction!
This time was a little different though. She stared...I mean, walked right up to it and looked deeply into the eyes of the person looking back. She was truly checking herself out. She touched her hair and her face. She would turn her face to one side and then the other. Apparently she couldn't get close enough to see everything so she ended up having her nose right up against the mirror. And then the most beautiful thing happened. She smiled.
Could I have this moment bottled up for all of eternity? My child saw who she was and liked what she was seeing. She inspected every inch of her little self and approved. It was such a marvelous moment of happiness and contentment. Her little innocent soul - unaware of the pressures of this world placed on beauty and style. Not realizing that she is not the only one in her life that will be "sizing her up". Others will come in to build her up or tear her down - no matter what she looks like.
How can I keep her smiling at the person in the mirror? How can I show her that she is and always will be beautiful? How do I explain to her that beauty truly exists deep within her soul and only rises to the surface by the love and kindness that comes from her heart?
There will be boys that break her heart and there will probably be girls that she feels that she doesn't measure up to in her life as she gets older, but I am going to try my best to bottle up this moment and remind her that she and her sister are truly perfect in the eyes of God. They are His perfect creations and I am blessed to have been here to bring them in the world and care for them.
Happiness was looking back in the mirror today and God willing happiness will be looking back always.
3 comments:
What a lovely moment. And your post is why I love blogging.
By writing about this tiny event, you have just ensured that it won't pass by forgotten. Not only have you put it in a special place in your heart, but your readers are reminded not to forget or take for granted those precious moments with their children that come and go so quickly.
Thanks!
This is so thought-provoking. I think that's why I let my 3-year-old choose her clothes (within reason) and embrace her own "look." And that's been an adjustment for me because since she was my first girl, I had certain ideas about how she would look and dress.
Great post!
What a beautiful and thoughtful post!!! Sometimes I take little moments like that for granted but in reading your post, it's made me realize that I need to better document things like that.
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