A Prayer for my Daughters

When we were growing up we were reminded time-and-again that one has to be sensible and walk along the road set before you by others.

I want to teach my daughters to do the opposite.  Travel the road everyone else is too afraid to take, it might lead you somewhere.

I have also been taught that God expect certain things of us, and none of those are to enjoy yourself.

 

I want to teach my daughters to opposite.  God wants to see you happy, God wants to see you enjoy the life He gave you.  And for that He gave you certain talents.

 

If you have a talent for something you are automatically going to enjoy doing it.  It’s a fact.  If you enjoy washing the dishes, you obviously have a talent for it and you probably do it better than anybody else, and you can come and do mine too, thanks.  There is no way the words: “I have no talent for it, but I love doing it” makes any sense in the world.  Who told you that you don’t have a talent for whatever it is that you love doing?  No, don’t dismiss the question: think about it, and I promise you it will come to you.  At some point in your life someone somewhere told you that you had no talent – like I was.

If I see my daughters doing something they enjoy, I encourage them to do more of it – unless, of course it’s something totally inappropriate like picking their noses ew.

 

My husband is still of the school that one has to have a “safe” and “sensible” job.  But I point out to him continually that I have been unhappy with my work since he’s known me, as I’ve always had a “safe” and “sensible” job.  Then I ask him if this is what he wants for the girls, to be continually unhappy.  He’s still not 100% there, but he’s seeing my point.  This is why I encourage our eldest daughter to go into film making.  She loves movies so very much.  Although I suspect she loves “stories”, not the actual movie.  But that’s something she’ll have to discover for herself.  I think she’ll make a better writer than a movie producer. And she has these crystal-like eyes, I wish I could show you what I mean.  Besides for the colour of her eyes, she also sees things so very differently than I did at that age.  She has a lust for life, an innocence and at the same time a wisdom that sometimes make me afraid for her.

And as for the little one….oh, the potential there….she loves ballet, she loves cooking, she loves all things shiny and pretty, she loves flowers, dresses, music, drawing, sewing….and there’s still so many things to show her.  And she has the most amazing joy in life.  She’s a little bit shy and has a sharper sense of humour than what I’ve ever seen in a child.

I pray with my whole heart, every day, that I am a good mother to these amazing creatures, that what I do for them is right and not harmful in any way. 

Amen

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