What I want my daughter to know

This afternoon my daughter and I worked together to bake a raspberry pie for her grandpa.  I put on my apron and instantly, she wanted hers. We spent a few minutes locating it because,  let's be honest,  with small children sometimes things end up in strange places.  At least in my home they do.

Baking alongside my 4 year old, I began to think about all the things I love about her. Her independence, her sense of humor,  her wit, her smile, her child's heart that desires to help me, her outgoing personality that can make a friend in a matter of minutes. 

Later in the evening she sat at the counter watching me finish up dinner. She pulled a small tube out of her pocket and applied some lipgloss and grinned at me: "Am I beautiful,  mommy?"

My heart melted as I looked at her and I replied: "You're always beautiful, hunny." And decided to add to it. I told her that what makes her beautiful is her kind and loving heart. 

What do I want my daughter to know?  I want her to know that she is much more than her appearance. I want her to know the value of her character and that working on being a loving individual will always be more beneficial than being what the world says is attractive.

Do I want her to be healthy? Of course.  But as a woman that struggled with her body image most of her life, I also know that health is not only bound to the body, but to the mind and soul, as well. 

I pray as my children grow that I will know how to nuture every part of them and that they grow in the knowledge of their gifts and value them more than appearance. I pray they embrace the people God created them to be and that they know how much they are loved.