From There to Here

Whoa! What happened? How did we get from there to here? And in such a rush? That's what I think when I see my first-born, Sarah, who did look like this just yesterday morning when she was 19 months old.....

We woke up this morning and found out she's been 19 years old since May.....

She's traded in her blue hoodie for blue hair.....look carefully, it's there. She's got style despite the fact that she was homeschooled! The hair changes are frequent since she is employed at Douglas Carroll Salon after completion of her cosmetology program.

Hair is not the only thing that's changed as Sarah has grown up. She doesn't suck her thumb anymore.

But she does still have her blankie....the comforter I made from white eyelet fabric to complete a handmade crib set so I'd have it for all my children. Sarah latched on and carried that big, bulky blankie everywhere, even to the blueberry fields. She carried it to Belarus on a three week trip when she was 15. It is now in shreds but she still sleeps with it. None of my other children ever used it.

The blankie is not the only constant in Sarah. I so admire her ability to hold her tongue, even when others, including her mother, don't hold theirs. She is a quick thinker, so I know she could retort in a flash. But she doesn't. That makes it easier in some ways for a mom raising a daughter, especially through the teenage years. But it sure does challenge a mom when the daughter is doing a better job than she.

Proverbs 15.1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Dear God, I thank you for Sarah's ability to answer softly and sometimes not answer at all, and I thank you that our journey from there to here has been such a pleasant one. May all her days be blessed, and may she continue to be a picture of your grace.