with these hands

to watch a child create is like watching a flower as it comes into blossom . . . . to see the joy on their face as their masterpiece takes shape, like listening to a pianist reaching their crescendo . . . . how i love to watch the girls as their hands glide through the paint making swirls of colours

                                    
it doesn't matter what the canvas is . . . . paper, bath tub walls, shower curtains, themselves . . . . the joy in their faces melts this mama's heart to butter.  i love listening to their giggles erupt from the very depths of their bellies as they share these moments together . . . . a sisterhood bond that i have prayed for each and every day.

when i see these hands moving and swirling i am reminded of how often i have washed hand prints off of windows and doors, grumbling to myself in the process.  how can i get frustrated and annoyed with these precious little hands when i know full well the beauty that they hold?  can i remind myself, as i wash countless footprints off my hardwood floors, that these precious little feet are what will carry them forward, one step at a time, as they go through life?

my prayer for my girls is that as they walk through life they will take me with them, by their side and that they will always walk with God before them.  i pray that as their trials and tribulations come that they will confide in God first and me second . . . . and as they confide in me i can only hope that i will trust and believe in each word they say and that i will be able to envelope them in my open arms with love and allow them to cry their tears of sorrow and to laugh over the joys.

and as they walk through their days they will ever leave footprints in the sand of my life.  leaving their mark on my heart as it continues to swell with love and pride.   and as the days draw to a close and i am washing the handprints off the walls for the hundredth time i will forever remind myself that these hands will only be this small for so long.