beauty

I have a beautiful little girl.

when i say beautiful, 

she truly is.

she loves others. 

she is excited about life.

she loves to help people. 

she is sad when people are sad.

she loves to laugh.

she is creative.

she is a dreamer.

she is shy.

she gives awesome hugs.

she loves kisses...

and tickles.

she loves to learn.

she adores her big brother.

she adores her daddy.

she wants to be as big as mommy one day.

she loves pink..

and purple...

unicorns...

doggies...

her best friend is her lammie.

she knows Jesus loves her.

she knows God can hear her when she asks him stuff.

her eyes are a gorgeous blue.

large, 

expressive.

her button nose is adorable.

her smile is contagious.

i have a beautiful daughter.

when she cries, her tears fill her blue eyes..and make you feel like crying too.

yesterday those eyes, were sad.

i wanted to hug her and never let her go.

yesterday we brushed her tangled hair and i put in two small pigtails.

i love her hair in pigtails.

she felt them and asked me to take them out.

"why" i asked.  definitely not expecting the response.

"because people will laugh at me."

*stunned*

"oh, honey, no one will laugh at you, they'll love them."

she just shook her head.

"you're so beautiful."

i looked into her eyes.

she averted her eyes, now full of sadness.

"I'm not beautiful."

*gasp*

she's not even 4 yet.

i was floored.

for someone who has struggled with my own self doubts, i wanted to smother this beautiful girl with so much love and reassurance.

all i could do was bring her to my lap, 

hug her.

"do you know why i know you're beautiful?"

she shook her head.

"because God made you.  He decided that me and daddy needed a beautiful little girl to love, so he gave us you.  when God does something he does exactly what he says.  He made you beautiful."

oh my little girl.

my prayer for you is that you have a strength and confidence in the beauty that God has made you.  

may your beautiful character shine out.

may you believe that the Jesus you love, and have in your heart, made you beautiful.

i know you are.

please don't ever doubt it yourself.

*some may say - oh, don't worry about it, she doesn't know what she's saying.  to you i say you're an idiot.  

my daughter knows what is beautiful, i hear her tell me things are all the time.  she knows beauty.    

don't ever think a child doesn't know.  if your daughter says shes not beautiful, it crushes you, at any age.  

build your daughters up to know that beauty is not just in the physical appearance, but that it comes from within. 

likewise raise your boys to understand true beauty and praise it in the girls in his life*