My Daughter. My One and Only, My Girl!
It was National Daughter’s Day the other day, which of course, none of us realize until our social media feed starts telling us, I enjoyed seeing all the posts, all the love and the beautiful faces of so many daughters, and so many proud moms. I know the feeling so well, and of course, as a Mom, I feel beyond blessed with my one and only, my daughter, my girl and our dream come true!
Our Kaili is 21 years old, but if we look back, from the time she was a baby she was and still is a happy, happy, happy girl. She truly is sunshine and radiates and lifts others up, she has always had this gift of goodness, kindness, laughter and light. Kaili is one of those special girls and her light shines bright—while pretty on the outside, it is her inner beauty that is breathtaking, and this is what really makes her beautiful in every way.
If I had to choose one thing, I think her kindness, her heart, compassion and empathy for others is overwhelming. Kaili genuinely cares about people (and animals), she feels deeply, cares deeply, and she sincerely thinks about others feelings, circumstances, and wants to do what ever she can to help & support others. Outside of my own experience of parenting, I have given thought to the question: can you teach empathy, how can you really teach kindness and when I look at my own kids (while they are far from perfect), they are pretty darn awesome and if anything, they are all kind. Kindness matters, it matters a whole lot!
Kaili is also observant and innate when it comes to people. She can spot authenticity, kindness and the opposite in others and each year, I see her strengthen her resolve in who she wants to surround herself with and what she values in people. Kaili is naturally a positive person, she is upbeat, positive, brings a healthy energy and vibe to the room and also has clarity on the vibes of others (she is observing even more the negative thoughts and energy that people bring, and she is learning to navigate this and hold her own, creating space for what she wants in her life).
My husband says it best when he says, “she’s just cool and I love spending time with her”. Yes, while we have been her parents her entire life, at this point, we can also call her friend—she is an absolute JOY to be around. Her sense of humor is always on, she is funny, silly, and always laughing or looking for a laugh be it at someone’s expense or just her own (and usually at the expense of one of us, her parents and family). She is fun, she has always had this joy inside of her, and is just fun to be with (the two of us laugh so hard at times, and it is usually at things people would not get or find funny, which makes it even funnier).
While I am biased as her Mom, I must say, she truly is that girl that I would only dream of having as my daughter. There are so many people in her life that feel the same or might say the same thing about her, she truly is sunshine and vibrant in so many ways. Yes, she has her challenges and vulnerabilities and that is what makes her, her—like we all have in our own way, this balance of shining bright & also being vulnerable at various times, it is authentic, and makes us unique. I can’t take credit for who she is, because that is her, God, and every important person in her life (yes, which does include me). Kaili is by nature a sweet and kind soul. I will take sweetness all day long, it truly is a strength in a girl. I would argue we should not just raise strong women, we should raise them sweet, and kind, caring and loving (for that is our true strength), that kind heart is so powerful and is the essence of life and beauty.
God gave me one daughter, and my "one and only" is my everything. She’s my girl, my heart, my joy, and as I like to say, my favorite girl in the world. She is the light of my life, she is my Kaili Georgie!