She was the lucky girl, the good girl, the happiness and sunshine girl. Her bright curls and her light smile and her sparkle voice – a bubbling brook, a tinkling stream, the voice of a promise of something better. Something exciting, the whisper in the wind as you stare over a bridge at the city lights in the dark. That wind. The telling of something fantastic coming your way. That was her.
Good luck charm, her father called her. Apple of my eye. Little poppet. Pet her head. When she got too old for that it was in a knowing glance.
Sunshine smiles, her mother said. Her mother sang her name in a million variations.
Gorgeous girl. Laughing girl. Girl with all the ideas.
Happy girl, smart girl, girl with all the talents.
Girl who opened her mouth and was listened to. Who asked and was given. Who glanced and was warmed to. Girl with all the gifts.
And they said ‘Everybody likes you’, and they said, ‘everybody thinks you’re great.’
So it became that it was to everybody she looked for her self worth. Not within herself.
Ocean Bream 
Many years ago I read about parents who kept telling their daughter how beautiful she was. Someone asked them if they ever tell her how smart she is. It really opened their eyes. It made me open mine. Of course our children are beautiful to us, we don’t need to change that message. We need to ADD to it! 🙂
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I heard something similar, and I love your addition ‘we need to ADD to it.’ It’s a constant thing we need to remind ourselves when interacting with littles/youngsters. Even adults benefit from that too!
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Yes ‘we’ do!!!!
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❤
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I loved your story, Lenora. But it made me sad too. Messaging can be very subtle and hard to live up to. Better to live up to being the best person we can be.
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Yes, I like that. That way we don’t disappoint ourselves, and are safe in the knowledge we try our best.
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Wise words! Aren’t we always seeking validation from the world, seldom being happy in our own self, knowing that we are enough. Sigh!
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Always keeping up with the Joneses – physically and mentally 🙂
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