Today I witnessed the look of wonder emanate from my one-year old daughter's face as she gazed upon a dozen red roses for the first time in her brief life. I was struck by her innocence and as she studied them, grinning from ear-to-ear with her four little teeth gleaming. I could tell she loved them and would have given anything to read her thoughts at that moment.
I told Arie that she was looking at them with awe and wonder and he quickly glanced over to catch her expressions. His "awe" reaction led me to ponder the future relationship between them.
I recall the first dozen roses my daddy sent me. I was 18 and going through a very difficult time of my life. He sent my beautiful roses to the grocery store where I worked and I proudly displayed them atop my register. The whole day employees and customers alike commented on them. With each acknowledgment of my gift, I was given yet another gift...a reminder that on that day my dad was my biggest fan and greatest love!
I still have the card he attached to the roses that day and occasionally I bring it out to remind myself of two things: Dad's love for me, and God's, for the card read, "Keep your chin up. God loves you and so do I." I'm 38 and I'll never forget those words of encouragement as they linger with me from 20 years ago.
It is my fervent hope and prayer that Lisse is gifted through her daddy in a way such as this. A quote hangs on my bathroom wall that comes to mind when reflecting on this: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." That is where I was left 20 years ago, breathless in the moment...
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