Onto Middle School (sniff sniff)

My beautiful Finley, I walked into your room the other day and saw the stuffed sloth tucked into his bed with his knitted blanket and homemade hat.  All of your stuffies have their own personal pillows and blankets.  Sometimes, I wonder what it must be like to be in your head, with all of your stuffed animals to care for. It must be magical to walk up to the bunk room with about 200 friends. You have such a heart for them, like your "handicapped" bunny whose leg was made facing the wrong direction. You made her a wheelchair and a brace. And, your sheep collections stashed carefully in a baby carriage, always sits just by your bed. Lambie is the most spoiled of all with her own handmade booties and felt dress.

I am blessed by your desire to fill the world with your creations. Everyday, you come up with a new project idea. The first step is to report your idea in detail to me. You follow me around the house excitedly describing all that you plan to do. I usually only half understand what you're talking about, and then you skip off to the craft room where you disappear for hours. Then, you unveil your creation, and I am always amazed. How did you think that up? One day, you skipped up the stairs to show me the headdress that you made for your stuffed pig. It had felt feathers like an Indian. You also made a satchel for the pig to wear over his shoulder with a bow and arrow AND a fiddle (all made out of felt and toothpicks). The next day, it was a water fountain out of rocks, glue gun and blue paint. Then, there was the fabric owl filled with lots of beans, so it could sit on your nightstand holding your bookmark. You're the only one I know who would lament that while skiing in Keystone is fun, you really want to get back to your sewing machine.

You might be opposite of me in just about every way. I knew this when you started Kindergarten. We brought you to school in a dog costume one morning for "Dictionary Day," and discovered that nobody else had participated. My face was flushed as we stepped inside your classroom and I realized that you were the only one in a costume. But, it didn't phase you a bit. You were so proud to be a dog!  Your teacher said that you took it off for recess, and quickly put it back on as soon as you stepped back into the classroom, and everyone wanted to pet you. Right now, you are the goalie of your soccer team, and one of the hard things about being a goalie, is that you can feel the responsibility for a loss. I worried about how you would feel in your last game when your team lost by 2 points that were both scored on you.  I felt the sadness in my own heart, wondering if I might need to console you on the way to the car. Your first words to me were, "mom, I LOVE being goalie because think of all the balls that I stopped!!" I hope you never stop claiming the victories in your life. Keep your eyes fixed on the goodness, because there is so much there.

In watching you, I believe that you know who you are, and are happy about it. That is a beautiful thing sweet girl, because you really are special. You were made in God's image and He has a wonderful design for your life. I hope you continue to know that. You are starting Middle school next year, and I often wonder how that transition might affect you. My heart longs for you to stay naive, confident, and child-like...but, there is no fighting the flow of growth. As you mature, may your heart always be anchored in your identity in Christ, and may you shine like Him just the way you were created to shine.  I love you more than you could know!