A Mother's Quiet Thoughts

Her name is Kathryne, named for her grandmother, but we call her Katie. When she was born she was placed on her Daddy's chest and her crying ceased immediately. She snuggled in and was comforted by his voice, the voice she had heard reading to her in the womb for 8 months. When her mother recovered from the c-section Katie was brought to her and she nursed vigorously then slept peacefully nestled in her arms. We brought her home and marveled at her every move.
At one and a half she discovered the tiny baby Jesus in her nativity set. She carried Him everywhere.
At two her vocabulary astounded them. Her contentment made for a peaceful home. She could wave out the window as her Daddy went to work all on her own. She sang songs with a purple dinosaur named Barney and loved a little boy named Ma-mow. And she began to hear more about this Jesus, whom she still carried wherever she went.
At 3 she told Jesus she loved Him and wanted Him to live in her heart. And He did. He comforts her and her parents when her baby brother dies before she even gets to meet him. Her curly blonde locks make her resemble Shirley Temple.
At 4 she got very sick, so much so that her round cheeks became gaunt and she never ate. Her eyes still twinkled and she still laughed even when they poked her with big needles. We were told she had a disease that would stay with her for her lifetime and that there would be many surgeries in her future. She began to have serious talks with Jesus, and one night He answered her with a touch. She felt it as she slept and explained it to us in the morning. He had healed her, she was certain and she was right.
She has another baby brother. She thinks he is pretty amazing and teaches him all sorts of fun things. She tells him about Jesus too. At 3 years old, he also asks Jesus to live in his heart. She and her brother are best friends.
At 5 she goes to kindergarten and her teacher loves her. She makes friends easily. She is the only girl invited to one of the boy's birthday parties and is not afraid to jump in the bounce house with her pretty party dress. She is smart.
At 6 she has moved twice with her father's jobs. We have begun to homeschool her and can hardly keep up with her pace of learning. She has been reading since she was 4. She reads to her little brother everyday. He follows her around everywhere. We live in the country and she loves to play outside.
At 7 she has moved again. She discovers there are lots of homeschooled kids at this new destination and she is happy. Her bests friends are Tyler and Annie. They are inseparable. They play make believe a lot. She loves her church and learns more and more about Jesus. She is in Awanas and always remembers her verses. Her grandmother for whom she was named has died. We travel to California to say goodbye.
At 8 she is respectful and listens to her elders. She values truth and honesty. She likes to climb trees.
At 9 she has close friends but her brother remains her closest. She loves to perform and will turn the front stairs into a stage.
At 10 she has a birthday party with relatives in New Hampshire and discovers the joys of Great Nana's house.
At 11 she is moving again to a city where the wind chills can be -20º. Her whole family cries as they drive away from a home and city that they love. She makes new friends and they play roller-hockey in the basement. Her Aunt and Uncle live in the same town and sometimes she watches her cousin play basketball or the other cousin play tennis. They like to get ice cream at a place called "The Cow". She likes to go to the "Y" with her family to swim and feel the ice crystals on her hair when she walks to the car afterwards.
At 12 another move. She's grown accustomed to moving, but is also quite tired of it. She is thankful for her brother who is always by her side. He keeps her from being lonely. They like to make movies together. She lives closer to her grandparents now and sees them more often.
At 13 they settle into a new church and she finds a few friends. She is still homeschooled and discovers there is a resource center for homeschooled kids. She has a friend at church who goes there as well. Her brother is still her best friend.
At 14 she takes an acting class that performs Shakespeare. She is shy at first, but quickly is befriended by the group. She is quite happy. Learning lines is easy for her, but she needs to slow down when she speaks them. Her family likes to hike and bike and take day trips. It rains a lot where she lives.
At 15 she is still performing and participates in yet another acting troupe. She is most happy when she is performing. She loves Jesus and makes a decision to be baptized. Her mother and brother look on as she is baptized by her father. They all cry. She helps in a Sunday School class with 4 year olds and they adore her.
At 16 she discovers that boys can be cute but very weird, but often easier to get along with than girls. She reads a book about kissing dating goodbye and it makes sense to her. Her Daddy is still the greatest man she knows besides Jesus. Her acting keeps improving and she is natural on stage.
At 17 she is in her last year of high school and she learns she can take classes at the community college. They seem almost easy for her, but it's sort of cool being on college campus. She babysits regularly for a family and the little one lights up when he sees her. He teaches her the difference between Thomas and Percy. She teaches the kindergarten Sunday School class now. She is reliable. Her first car is totaled in a freak accident when it is parked by the curb. Boys are still cute and she begins to wonder about her Prince Charming. She knows that God has engraved her name on Prince Charming's heart and until she has met him she will guard hers. Her mother, like all good Italian mothers, has begun a list of potential Prince Charmings, which is quite short, for all good Italian mothers are also quite selective. She chuckles and shakes her head at her mother, in the end she knows that there is a very big difference between a boy who likes her and a boy who 'likes likes' her and God will send her nothing less than 'likes likes'.

She will be 18 on Friday. Her father is still her hero and her brother her closest friend. Her mother makes her smile and often makes her crazy. She is beautiful. There are still faint resemblances to the little girl with the curls and when her hair gets wet the curls come back. Her blue eyes still glisten when she laughs. She keeps a bear aptly named "Mr. Bear" on her bed. He has been by her side since the day she was born. She has another car whom she calls Max. She is remarkable, responsible, level-headed and full of life, although not after 10 p.m. or before 9 a.m. She really can light up a room with her smile. Her parents are proud of who she is. They often receive compliments from others who have come to know her. They would like to take the credit but they know that who she is today is who she has chosen to be. It has been their privilege to be her parents. She has made wise decisions. She keeps her Bible by her bed and Jesus in her heart.


(Written for my precious Princess P, who fills my heart with such joy. You will one day know the depths of such joy when you gaze for the first time upon the face of your own child. I will be there and as excited as I will be to meet a grandchild, I will marvel more at watching you, my daughter, experiencing the sensation of motherhood and we will look at each other and our eyes will meet and you will know the secret that I have known all along. And we will bond all over again. I love you.)