Beautiful Inside and Out

I spent the Thanksgiving holiday last week with my lovely daughter. (Yes dear, you are lovely.) For most of us Thanksgiving is that time of year we think of all those things for which we are thankful – family, friends, jobs, health, and the list goes on and on and varies from individual to individual. Our Thanksgiving prayers invariably thank God for the blessings he has bestowed upon us.
During the holidays I wondered what I would post on my return home but I was at a loss as to what to write until last night. I want you to know that God has blessed me with an amazing daughter and I love who she is.
From the time she was small she has always thought of others. I can remember one birthday when she couldn’t have been more than five or six she was opening her presents during a small party. Upon opening each gift she profusely made over the gift and thanked the giver repeatedly. You see, she made each guest feel special too.
In a PTA Reflection’s Contest (about 2nd grade) she drew her little white hand holding a little black hand about making a difference. I think that theme has been repeated lately. If you aren’t familiar with the contest, they do it at school without any prompting. I was so proud. When Christmas comes she wants to buy presents for everyone never expecting a gift in return. For her it truly is the giving. In second grade she also adopted a kitten from a friend. Smokey is now 17 years old. Two years ago she adopted another kitten, Winston. If she thought she could Winston would have numerous brothers and sisters. No cat is a stranger. Her love of them is enormous.
This Thanksgiving a turn of events made it impossible for her live in boyfriend to be with us and it was hard for her. As it was hard for me knowing it was hard for her. However, she invited his brother and cousin to come by and have dinner with us and went so far as to pick them up and bring them to her apartment and drive them home afterwards. She wanted to do something for them. In her words, “I can’t do anything for him right now, maybe I can for them.”
With a baby coming, bills to pay and things to consider and take care of it hasn’t been easy for her these past couple of weeks. When I called to tell her I had made it home last night she was upset about what the future would hold and how to prepare for it. We had a long conversation. I tried to assure her we would take it one day at a time. I told her I had chosen to live each day and try not to worry so much about the future. I reminded her that her boyfriend had said “it’s in God’s hands.” Somewhere in all the talk she said she knew I would never let her end up on the street. (That tells you the extent of her worry.) She certainly knows her mother because that would never be an option. It was what she said after that that made my heart go out to her even more. “But what about those people who don’t have that?” Her day had been filled with worry and anxiety and yet she was thinking about others in the same situation as herself but with no one to help them when they needed it.
I have always told my daughter that in the times of my life when I needed it the most God always seems to give me a sign that things will be ok. As of yet, he hasn’t let me know just how it’s all going to work out, but I know it will. What I do know is that he has blessed me with a lovely caring daughter who is beautiful inside and out. I love you Cindy – to the moon, and back.