It’s my daughter’s birthday this week, and it has been a busy month with all sorts of celebrations containing birthday cupcakes, brownies, chocolate ice cream and of course, presents!
Every year as we celebrate her birthday, an unwrapped present flows from her to me in what appears to be boxes of priceless memories, which fills my mother’s heart with completeness.
I envision the little girl with blonde curls and a pretty dress excited for her birthday party who now resides inside the young woman who still loves to wear a party dress and twirl with that same type of birthday-girl excitement.
Comparable to my son, Michael, my daughter also has a gifted ability to teach me valuable life lessons. Her style is just as powerful as her brother's but a bit more concealed. Upon asking, she will instruct a heartfelt message that displays her own personal journey. As a sibling, she holds a unique perspective inside the patient and family scope, but also in the unexpected life of an only child plus one angel. She demonstrates in action, not just words, what it means to be joyfully happy despite your circumstances. Her courage challenges me to stretch the perimeters of my own choices and go outside the box of possibility - another gift her life offers me.
I have been given so many treasured gifts from my daughter, especially through her words. They often resonate in me like a source of truth from the divine. A few years ago she explained to me her goal for happiness. It became a day I will never forget, setting a course for my own. “I know I can be happy up to here," she said placing her hand up to her forehead, “but I want to be happy way up to here," reaching her hand high above her head. Her explanation left me speechless and innately aware of the sacred in that brief yet sustaining display.
Each one of us should have that same goal, striving for happiness that exceeds possible and enters the unimaginable. Sadly it’s our own lack of trust and belief that sometimes prevents us from arriving at the place we were created to be. Embrace these words of wisdom, “Be happy way up to here." There you are sure to Be the Change.
Happy Birthday, Jessica!
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