a precious soul

“I like your paint colors. They are very nice. Sometimes, we must use colors that are… uh,uh,” remarked the painter shaking his head back and forth.

“Your swivel chairs are perfect in front of the fireplace!” said my friend. “I have just found my new favorite chair,” she continued.

“How did you find just the right colors for this room?” inquired a neighbor. “Everything blends so perfectly.”

“Each part of this remodel is done so well.  I’ve seen a lot of homes, and a lot of re-dos. I know the age of these houses in this neighborhood, and yet yours looks so current, yet classic. Who did your work?” asked the realtor who was a guest at a party in our home.

I am very appreciative of the kind words about our home. And I quickly respond with these words: “Our daughter is a designer, and it looks so good because of her. She deserves every bit of the credit!”

Yes, I am so grateful for our daughter’s design skills, and for the fact that she helps us with decisions at our home. She ALWAYS has good ideas. And she puts up with me if I can’t see her vision, or want to hang onto something that needs to go.  So I am also grateful for her patience with me.

She is such a gift!

A few years ago, I became a mother to an astonishingly beautiful baby girl. My husband and I just stared and said, “How can she really be ours?” She has enchanted us ever since.

She was right on track with childhood milestones. She hated bananas from the very first taste. She giggled joyfully and freely. She was meticulous with some things (art and school work) and “creative” with others (keeping her room). She loved to arrange things (tables, candles, etc.) into what she called her “set-up,” an early start to home design.

In elementary school she was a hard worker who loved doing her school work. In middle and high school that continued, even when she attended a quite challenging private school. She always gave everything her all.

She “excelled” at soccer even though, in truth, she wasn’t the best player. But she was the heart of the team, and she was the first (only?) to receive an award in her name. It is now given to a player who exemplifies this spirit, and it continues to this day.

She has memorized much of the dialog in the classic, “Steel Magnolias,” and no one cries alone in her presence. We were “best friends” when she was in high school, but I am thankful that I have been replaced in that role by her husband and soul mate, the perfect match for her sweet spirit.

And she is the BEST mommy. She knows her two precious children so well, constantly seeking ways to meet their needs – while at the same time keeping them challenged to move along with their skills as they grow.  (And she shares them with my husband and me, and trusts us with them. A privilege and an honor!)

She has a deep-rooted faith that she lives out each day. In good times and in tough times, she relies on her Father for guidance and care.

Our daughter has SO many qualities that I am proud of and thankful for. She is such a blessing to our family. If there were anything that I could change about her, I would give her more self-confidence.  I’d share with her the knowledge and conviction that I have about her: She can do whatever she makes up her mind to do – and she will do it well.

I love you, Beth. Thank you for being our daughter!

Thank you, God, for sending this precious soul into our lives.