It happened again, and I couldn’t stop it. She lost another tooth…and the one right next to it will very quickly follow it. When did she get to be a big girl? Her feelings were hurt at church (of all places!) by another child. After she told me what happened, I just wanted to scoop her up and tell her what an amazing little girl she was…and I did…I looked her straight in the eyes and made her promise to be no one but ABBY.

What if we all truly were just ourselves? Not the insecure, pretend version of ourselves, but the real version that God had in mind when he created us. Sure we all have flaws and we’ll never be perfect, but what if we just decided that who cares if so and so doesn’t like me…I am living in the will of God and as long as Jesus thinks I’m cool…than I am! I don’t mean that by being ourselves that we hurt others…I mean that if others can’t see us for the beautiful creations we are…then we are allowed to surround ourselves with those who do.

The sweet, energetic spirit that my daughter has is contagious. The kind of spirit that will sing the entire Polar Express song to a stranger in line at a store, the kind of Spirit that after receiving a dollar for doing chores, will then immediately make a list of what she can buy her brother with that dollar. She worships, she sings, she loves to draw, read, write and take pictures. She’s my kind of girl!

I never want her to change. Never. For her sake though…I do want those teeth to grow in straight.