French braids

It’s hard to put into words just how special this picture is to me. To almost anyone else, it looks like a simple picture of a little girl with braids in her hair. But to me, I see answered prayers. I see God’s mercy and goodness. I see hopes and dreams years in the making realized. You see, I’ve always wanted to be a mother. But having children was not an easy process. Our first child was difficult to conceive and it was a path we were not going to repeat. Our son was a miracle and a blessing, we did not know if we would be so fortunate to have more children. When we chose to adopt, there were no certainties we would be matched. But God’s mercy and goodness became so evident, as our daughter was placed into our family. Not only did he answer the prayer for more children, but he put the icing on the cake by choosing a daughter for us to love. That calling to be a mother was being fulfilled in getting to raise both a son and a daughter. Growing up, I spent most mornings seated while my mom fixed up my long hair in ponytails, braids and other 90s fashions. Although we occasionally bickered about hair being pulled too hard, those times were very special as it was just the two of us getting to talk and be together. This past week as I braided my daughters hair in pig tail French braids, I was struck with such a sense of gratitude. Thank you God for my daughter, for getting to pass along this timeless tradition of braiding hair, for the times now and to come that we can continue to grow closer.