I have a girlfriend who has a beautiful family, but it's her daughter that captures my thoughts the most. She has long spirals of sandy blond hair and she looks as if she should permanently remain in a field of wild flowers. She is quietly satisfied with herself and comfortable with her abundant thirst for knowledge.
At seven years old (yes, seven), she possesses such positive self esteem that I at.... my age, am just now starting to find! I think that she has become a little role model for me. She doesn't always match, appreciates makeup and girly things but they hardly influence her life, has an extensive knowledge on animal behavior and is comfortable to shrug her shoulders at the thought of anyone calling her a nerd.
Her mother frets over potentially failing her children, as all loving mothers do, but what greater gift can a mother give a daughter than the gift of healthy self esteem? The gift of shoes that are comfortable to stand in no matter the trend or the pressure of peers? This isn't to say that this child won't go through a period of self uncertainty, doing things to 'find herself'. However, through all the horrible haircuts, bad fashion choices, heartache of disappointing friends, heartbreak ...etc. she will find that gift that has always been there, re- establish it and appreciate it's value.
My mother gave the gift to me, although I didn't realize I had it until recently, and now seeing my friend passing it along to her daughter makes my heart swell with joy. I only hope to follow in their footsteps!
