Lessons from My Daughter

The new year has always held magic in it to me. It’s a chance for reinvention, for new beginnings. My first kiss with Quinn was on New Year’s Eve nearly a decade ago and my belief in the magic was only magnified after that night.

Lately I’ve found magic isn’t reserved for just the champagne and confetti nights, it’s in my every day. My daughter, Henley, opened my eyes to it. The world is full of wonder to her. She is curious about what things are and how they work. Things I stopped considering decades ago, like what the moon and stars are, why Legos click together, or how airplanes fly.

Her inquisitive spirit sparks a love for all the world’s creatures. For example, she’s in awe of bees. Bees! It takes every piece of my being to not flinch when we spot a bee. Through squinted eyes I try to be in awe of them as well.

Her awe goes hand in hand with an empathetic soul. She truly cares for all creatures and pieces of nature. No matter the location, she’s a stop and smell the roses kind of girl. So now, I’m a stop and smell the roses kind of girl. There’s something peaceful in closing your eyes, breathing in deeply, engaging the floral scent, and then opening your eyes up to beauty.

And beauty to her is in the everyday, in the people she loves, the grass blade in her hand. It’s in the mismatched socks, the denim vest over everything, and the daily rocking of combat boots. It’s in her watercolor art, the paint dripping onto the floor, and the literal coloring outside the lines. She sees beauty in it all. And I see beauty in her.

So here’s to another year with my girl, coloring outside the lines, and seeing beauty + wonder in it all.