My Dearest Halen,
I sit here thinking about how fast five years went by. I think back on being in absolute maternity bliss when you arrived, you were part of me. I was complete with you in my arms. I could stare at you and smell you and kiss you all day long. The sleepless nights were long forgotten with you by my side. You made me a mama and taught me along the way. You taught me how to listen to my instincts, how to shut out the chatter that so often becomes too much to bear.
You taught me about sacrifice, resilience, and the power of love. You taught me to shine in God’s love and to spark joy.
I am wrestling with letting you go. But I know God has the best plan for you, the best plan for our family.
What I really truly want for you is to be different. I want you to stand out from the crowd, I want you to let your light so shine that others are drawn to you by your kindness, your humility, your bravery.
As you start your first year of kindergarten, I want you to forge a path of goodness, of leadership, of truth.
What is most important to me is that you are confident in who you are, a daughter of Christ. A beautiful, radiant, loved, cherished, valuable, worthy, daughter of God. You were created in His image my darling girl. You were fearfully and wonderfully made.
The past five years are blurring past me because I thought I had more time. When you were born I was elated to have five years. I fought hard to be home with you. The last 4 years have been a pure blessing, to be able to be the one to answer all your questions, to listen to all your ponderings, to greet you with a smile, to fold you into a hug, to cuddle on the couch during sister’s nap. I have cherished every single moment.
I know our journey, our relationship as mother and daughter has just begun. The best is yet to come my sweet girl. God has a grand plan for you, this is just the beginning. I pray nightly to for God to help me raise you to lean on Him, to trust in Him, to abide by Him, to lead others toward Him.
This may be the first year you realize that we are different. And that is okay. God never told us our lives would be easy. He said they would be fruitful. As long as you believe in Jesus sweet one, your life will be filled with blessings.
As you walk into your classroom, hold your head high with a smile, hold Jesus in your heart, the fruits of the spirit should be your goal for each day: to be gentle, kind, peaceful, joyful, loving, patient, faithful, good and to have self-control. Some people may not say nice things, show them kindness and patience, you might be a beacon of light for them. Rise above my precious girl. God asks us to focus on what is good and to turn away from what is not.
I am so excited to see all you accomplish this year. Do not let anyone hold you back from being the best Halen you can be…the bright, smart, creative, loving, bold Halen your daddy and I know you to be.
Thank you for teaching me the most important things by being your mama. When you see the tears well up in my eyes, know those are happy tears...happy to have had four beautiful years with you home with me, blessed tears because gave you as a gift to me, eager tears to see the fruit from this year. My smile will show you that I am excited to see all you will accomplish this year. I will be eager for 2:50 every day to have our afternoons together.
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12
I love you more than every start in the Rocky Mountain sky and every grain of sand on the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Love,
Mama