(photos by G)

i learned this weekend something i have always known, i think since the first time i saw E's face staring back at me from a tiny photo through this very computer: my daughter has immense, immeasurable power. the kind of power that transforms hearts. the kind of power that reaches down into your soul and challenges you to be a better version of yourself, that constantly asks you to look in the mirror and question how you see yourself, the world, and the people around you. i learned that in the face of unexpected change she might worry for a moment but will quickly recover and brush off the setback, that without fail, she will see the silver lining and rarely if ever even recognizes the clouds. she is a natural and exuberant smiler. and, apparently THE LIFE OF THE PARTY. that she has to be dragged off a dance floor, literally :) sadly, i think she stole the spotlight from the bride. that comes as no surprise to me, though. the girl has got a natural charisma.

this power within her.

you might think it's the chair. initially, that grabs your eye, sure. but then you realize that's not it at all. it's HER. it's her spirit, it's the life within her. it's this magic she has and bam she is weaving it all over you. you will be spellbound and speechless and incapable of not falling in love. i am not speaking only as her mom- i see it everywhere we go.

and part of the beauty of that power is that it is rooted entirely in unconditional love. the girl is a giver, through and through. her goal is to smile and she wants you smiling with her. or giggling. you choose. she'll take either.