I Want to Hold Her Hand Forever.

 Cealy turned 5 on July 31st. Oh my heart this sweet child of ours. She feels so proud to be 5, tells everyone. Her heart, is so big and full of love. The way she celebrates her brothers. The way she makes them feel about themselves seems far beyond that of a 5 year old. Believe me, there is no perfection here, she enjoyed plowing into her brothers bike with him on it the other day...but she makes so many people happy. She will go to Kindergarten next year. I needed one more year. There I said it. It is me. She is ready, but next year I think she will be really ready...ha. We are doing school here in the morning and playing all afternoon.

Sure, I want to hold her hand forever. I am so afraid of someone hurting her heart. I have to remember that Jesus loves her more, and I am just here to help her through life. She has to get hurt in order to learn. Come on Amanda, remember Nemo! "I don't want anything to happen to you." Well then nothing will ever happen, and what is this thing called life? Oh my heart, that is hard for me. I was sitting not too far away from her when I heard two of her friends say she wasn't big. I saw her eyes well up. And then I did it. I went over and talked to her friends about her being big and not saying hurtful things. She just sat there, but I can't hold her hand forever, I tell myself over and over. I have been praying over that, and God has really helped me. She will have hurtful things said to her, she will say hurtful things, and she will learn. And I will be here to listen.

Happy 5th birthday to our Cealy. I am a better person because you have lived.