Seeing

Today I saw Olivia.

I saw beyond the crumbs on her face that constantly need to be wiped and the frizzy hair that I can barely keep up with.

I saw my child’s heart. The one that is mine to guide but not mine to keep.

I watched her all day long and smiled at her constantly.

Not too many words were spoken today.

And the more I saw her heart, the more she sparkled back at me.

My smiles and acceptance only amplified her radiance.

It was an easy day for us without drama and tantrums.

Instead, I got a hug that blew my heart open and brought tears to my eyes.

It got me wondering…

Do we take enough time to see their heart’s? Not only us, but society too.

When we leave the toddler days behind and we have a spirited teenager, I want to know what makes her heart sing.

Do many parents know their child’s heart?

I see the quest for “the well rounded” child, bustling from activity to activity.

And so many kids who want to be everything for their parents.

But are they following their heart? If we listened, could we accept that a child already knows?

I wonder what would happen if parents worried less about perceived weaknesses and supported the story our children have been trying to tell us.

Would our world feel different if children knew they could trust their hearts with us?