I Hope You Dance

There is purpose in regrets.

Stay with me on this one.

You finally lock gazes with the one you've waited to meet for 9 months. And the recent hours of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion seemed to have just dissolved into a distant and faint memory...

All of a sudden, your heart is flooded with the waves of love. And it fills you up so fast that you are almost certain this is what heaven feels like. The realization that God, in His infinite mercy and grace, has allowed you, you, to help Him create a miracle. It's as if you are holding a personal gift from God, wrapped in the most perfect paper, attached with a gift tag that says "To Mommy. Please take good care of her for Me."

Then it hits you. You need to teach your daughter how to live right. And to do your best to help her avoid the bad mistakes of life. Maybe, even some of your own. But to live, nonetheless.

Dear sweet daughter,

Don't be afraid to take chances and try something new. Just be sure to measure it up to your Creator's standards, first. And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance....

...I hope you dance.

This is Ericka.

She is wearing the "Popsicle" flower here.

And the "Indian Summer" flower here.

She is the inspiration for this post...

...and this flower.

The "Ericka" flower.