When your daughters are grown....

January 30, 2013

   Today is Dana's birthday. 

   When Andy and I got married, there was a wedding right after ours that had the song, "Sunrise, Sunset" as part of the ceremony.  I'm sure it was included for the parents, as a reminder of how fast their daughter had gone from infant to bride.  It was poignant, to say the least.

    Oh, man... the lyrics say, "one season following another, laden with happiness and tears" - or something like that.  Little did I know later as a young mom with two little girls how that song would mean so much to me now.

    Dana.  Christian woman.  Teacher.  Sister.  Friend.  Traveler.  Independent thinker. Daughter.  And so much more.

   Erin.  Christian woman.  Wife.  Mother.  Friend.  Sister. Daughter.  Giver. The list goes on.

  When your daughters are grown, there's a whole new wonderful side of them that you could not forsee when they were little; when they were grumpy, or stubborn, or timid, or worried.  You just hoped that each day, you'd make the right choices and tell them all the right things.  You just didn't want to "mess them up."    Somedays, you sure wished you had a crystal ball, so see how the story was going to play out, but then the surprises wouldn't be so amazing, and the outcomes so fulfilling.  I'm sure there are things I would do differently if I could, but since that isn't the case, I'll just give myself some grace that the good way outdid the bad.  That's all you can do when your daughters are grown. 

   Anyone who knows my girls knows that they are beyond exceeding any expectations I could have had, and that is giving all the glory to God; for He is theirs, and they are His.

   So, on this reflective day of Dana's birth, I'll just relive some fun "Mom memories", and look forward to the years to come.  Because when your daughters are grown, it's what you do.