Our beloved Zienne turns 9 today. ? It’s funny; the moment I first laid my eyes upon her, my mind automatically raced to the future, and in a millisecond, I wondered what her smile will look like, how her voice will sound like, what idiosyncrasies will she develop. Then when she gets older, I forcibly make my mind focus only on the moments of her birth, longing to remember her scent, the tiny coos of unfamiliarity, her confused gazes to the world around around her, and the small changes of her visage. We have come to NINE, + as much as I go back to her birth day, I look at who she is now and rejoice. 

Zienne is my little budding perfectionist- in school, in music, in learning new skills- she chases after things with fervor. Her resolve is so admirable. But what I love most this year is Zienne’s growth in opening up. Zi is more reserved, observant and analytical. But this year, her mind is starting to verbalize how she makes sense of her world through her feelings, and I love the new dimensions in our dialogue, a deeper understanding of how she processes things and how I can explain things that may confuse her, comfort her deeper fears, and talk about more substantial life lessons that prepares her heart. Then she’ll playfully go back to slime and backbends and video games. Oh the constant pulling of the past and future. But today, we will stop to celebrate NINE- Zienne’s 9 year old smile, + her 9 year old less raspy voice, + her 9 year old passionate laugh, and her 9 year old heart that loves those around her. 

 

You are dearly loved, little one. What a pleasure to raise you. “The seasons change and you change, but the Lord abides evermore the same, and the streams of His love are as deep, as broad, and as full as ever.” (C.Spurgeon)