Last weekend, Marky and I went on a little mini-trip to Portland, Oregon.
The 3 day "Get-away" was a gift for her 16th birthday
and it included just the 2 of us making our way to the Northwest.
This quote above describes what I got to experience with my daughter while we were away.
She has depth.
She is so creative.
She is her very own unique person.
She has tastes that are her own.
She has interests that are quirky and wonderful.
She is her own kind of beautiful.
We shopped - thrift stores, farmers market, specialty boutiques, consignment, Saturday market, and even the Goodwill.
We ate ice cream.
We got pedicures.
We walked.
We laughed about how much Grandma would have hated some of the stores we went into.
We sat in silence.
We chatted.
We tasted yummy food.
We smelled delicious smells.
We marveled at the urban, chic, city-folk.
I loved being able to focus on just this child,
watching her watch the world.
The lens she looks through
is different than mine.
It was such a joy to see what captured her attention.
What she wanted to buy, what she wanted to capture in a photo,
what made her laugh, what made her think.
Many times during the weekend, I thanked God for the privilege
and delight it is to be her mom.
And her friend.
I asked God to help me love her better. More.
And mostly...
I just REALLY loved being with her.
We sat at the counter at this bakery, and we watched this lady build a fire.
She was graceful in her movements and so attentive to her task.
Her beauty held our gaze much longer than we first expected.
It was as if we were momentarily mesmerized by the choreography of her job.
She made it look like a dance.
It was a joy to get to know my sweet 16 year old
in a new a different way .
To appreciate our sameness... our differences.
To hope for a happy future for her.
And though she be but little,
She is Fierce.
