Through Her Eyes;

I have learned to view the world in a whole different way.

Through her eyes I have learned to see the beauty in all things that aren't very appealing to the eye. I have learned to hold back on my judgments and just watch to see how things play out before automatically cutting things off before even allowing it to start.

Through her eyes I am taken back to a time where I felt with great passion and hope, believing that all things can and will work out for the better in the end. I am reminded that through hardships and struggles our character is formed along with our great appreciation for life at all angles no matter what the challenge holds for us.

It is through her eyes that I realize just how blessed I am to have her beside me as we make our ways through this passage called life.

Ever since she was a little girl, she would amaze me with her brilliance. I am not just saying this because she is my daughter. I am saying this because there were many times she left me in a state of awe at the things she would do, say or show me.

I know every parent has felt this about their child. I am not so self absorbed to think that I am the only one in the world to have such an amazing kid. I am however, so blessed by the daughter that was chosen to be mine.

I have learned that she is exactly what I needed in life to make me stay in check, remember to take chances and to live for the things that really matter, rather than the garbage that surrounds us.

From the time she could walk and talk I knew she was unique.

Being an only child, she has had the opportunity to be surrounded by adults all of her life and has learned quickly how to fit in respectively with the older, established people that were in our circle of family and friends, even strangers.

Although this was an advantage in many ways, it also was a disadvantage for knowing how to fit in with her peers.

With that being said, she didn't always have the easiest of times with making new friends or knowing how to socialize on the same level as her peers.

She has managed to make her way and find her friends along the path. Some are still childhood friends which is amazing considering how many times we have moved from state to state before I decided it was time to settle down.

One thing about moving and the travels we have taken, she adapts easily and quickly to any change in her environment so I honestly can't say that the moving and travels haven't been a positive part of her life.

She has always been unique in the fact that she is very diverse with her peer groups, her foods, her arts and her music.

She has always had a love for the arts and music since the age of two. I have some of the drawings she made throughout her years and they are so awesome. Some are completely hilarious and inappropriate, others are very deep.

I used to worry about her and think that she needed meds to help her focus or a counselor to talk about things going on in her life that maybe she couldn't articulate to me.

Call me a paranoid parent and I will own it with all my being. I was new to this parenting gig and honestly was terrified that I was doing something wrong.

What I have learned from her throughout the years though, is that she loves with no boundaries. The ugliest and loneliest flower in the field is going to be the most cherished and cared about flower in her garden. That although I may not approve of the things that go on with her friends choices and lives she is going to stand by them until they give her a reason to walk away. And she will fight to the end for the things she believes in without hesitation or fear.

Although there are times I feel she is leading a mediocre existence, I am so wrong! Her mind is spinning and she is thinking of her next great feat no matter what it is she is pursuing.

I am learning that although my opinion on things count a little, they are only part of her decision making and I can't control all issues that come up in her life. I can only be there, offer advice and pray that the moral codes I have raised her up to believe in will make an impact on the situations she allows herself to be involved in.

I can sit back, watch and lend an ear when she needs to talk or a shoulder and a hug when she needs to be comforted.

I can continue to pray and believe she will be all the things she has set her dreams on and I can continue to see the world through her eyes and remember to live wholeheartedly without fear of the unknown or fear of failure because honestly as she reminds me. As long as you give it a try and do your best then it doesn't matter if you're the number one, you will be number one in your heart.

I hope she never forgets who she is and what she longs to achieve.

So even when we think our children are completely naive or indifferent to reality, we may be amazed at the real picture as seen through their eyes.


So again, I pray to continue learning through her eyes.