In Good Hands

As November has begun, I have been reminded of the importance of expressing thankfulness on a regular basis.  It should not be just a Thanksgiving Day activity, but rather a habit that is exhibited in my life, day to day.  I have found myself in these past few days being made aware of the enormous blessings that I have been given.  The biggest blessings by far are my loving husband and my amazing daughter.  I can't imagine what my life would be like without them, and I could never fully express how full my heart is because of them.

My daughter, as I mentioned, is amazing.  She really has become the light of my life.  She delights me in ways I never could have imagined.  I am in awe, almost daily, of the new things she is learning and doing, and it reminds me of the wonderfully intricate way in which we are designed by our Creator.  At 15 months old, her language is impressive.  She signs and speaks, sometimes independently or in combination, quite a number of words and concepts.  (sign and verbalize: please, thank you, milk, eat, cereal, Mama, Dada, baby, ball, hat, bye-bye, hi, bath, blanket... verbalize: go, up, door, magnet, Boss [dog's name], rock-rock, diaper, blocks, apple, pumpkin, banana, puppy dog, book, shoe, sock, flower, cheese-toast... sign: friend, kiss, play, bed, sleep...)  She follows many verbal instructions, and, almost more impressively, knows when she is not supposed to do something, indicated by her proceeding to do said-thing while staring at the nearest parent/adult to see what reaction it will get.  As impressive as her intentional behaviors are, the thing that has most struck me has been an almost-involuntary reaction that I have seen in her.  A few days ago, she and I were sitting on the living room floor, playing with toys.  Our dog suddenly began barking loudly at a passing dog on the other side of the window.  My daughter's gut-reaction was to scramble across the two-foot space of floor separating us as quickly as possible so that she could plant herself in my lap and cling tightly to me.  No one taught her what to do when she was scared.  No one sat her down and explained (or demonstrated) how she was to react when startled.  She just knew, through experience, that her mama's arms are safe.  And when circumstances seem unsafe, you get to a safe place.  I understand that this is normal behavior, but for whatever reason, on that particular day, it really stuck with me as significant.  It made my heart fill with joy, knowing that, for all the mistakes I may make as a parent, I have instilled in my daughter at a very young age the knowledge that she is loved and cared for and protected.  I pray that, for years and years to come, I will continue to make this the overriding concept that I communicate to her.