Thursday, April 28, 2011

Life According to Belle

Life lessons learned through the mothering of a seven year old:
  1. Laugh often, loudly, and with recklous abandon.  Be unafraid of embarrassing yourself.  Have you ever watched children play?  They giggle constantly, at the silliest things.  We should be more like that.  We should relax enough to see the joy in the smallest things.  We should throw our heads back, close our eyes, and laugh the deepest belly laugh imaginable. 
  2. Hug and kiss the ones you love whenever you feel the urge.  Express your love without fear of rejection.  When you are feeling lonely or in need of extra attention, don't be afraid to say so.  Our daughter is the most affectionate creature and is not afraid to show her love and remind us that she needs love back.  I love that vulnerable side of her.
  3. Use your imagination.  Daydream to your heart's content.  Have big dreams and don't be afraid to chase them.  I listen to Isabelle in her room, pretending that she is the lead actress at her very own theater.  She knows no bounds at this phase in her life, she believes in the power of possibility.  I want her to have that confidence forever.  And I want that same confidence for myself.  I want to look into my future and believe that I can make anything happen.
  4. Believe in fairy tales.  Yes, life can be difficult and we are sometimes disappointed with how things turn out.  But it's still your story, your fate.  Isabelle once told us, "I don't want to marry Prince Charming.  I want to marry the Beast.  He's a really nice man."  See the beauty in every moment, every mistake, every situation that turns out a little different than you might expect.  See the beauty in the Beast.
"You breathed on me and made my life a richer one to live, when I was deep in poverty you taught me how to give. Dried the tears up from my dreams and pulled me from my hole, quenched my thirst and satisfied the 
burning in my soul." 
Bob Dylan

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