His Princess

Every morning before Sol goes to work, he has a special way of saying goodbye. He kisses each one of us on the forehead and says, "Bye Princess One, Princess Two, and Princess Three" -- hopefully I'm not embarrassing him too much by revealing this tender-hearted side of him that few people see!

The funny thing is lately HJ has been modifying the routine (as usual with her own way of doing things). Before Sol can kiss her and say "Bye Princess Two," she says, "No Daddy! Kiss my back!" Or "Daddy! Kiss my hand!" And she stretches out her hand with a big smile and laughs when her daddy acquiesces. This kiss to start the day has become so important to her that one time when Sol thought she was sleeping and he didn't say his usual goodbye, she woke up right away and the first thing she said was, "Daddy forgot to kiss me!"

Honestly I am so thankful that HJ has such a special relationship with Sol. It already seems to make her such a confident little girl, and I'm really hoping this continues into her teenage years and beyond. When Sol and I were filling out a slew of paperwork for HJ's IEP meeting, one of the questions in the parent survey was, "What are your hopes and dreams for your child?" I remember thinking, wow, that's one tough question to be asking, when Sol immediately replied, "To become a woman of joy. And a defender of the weak." I loved that Sol answered the question that way, and I loved even more that he knew exactly what his dreams and hopes were for HJ. It reminded me that our hopes for our daughter are not limited to just succeeding academically, but that there are greater things to be concerned about, life-long things about her character that will matter more in the long run than whatever worldly accomplishments she achieves.

Sol and I were just talking tonight about how glad we are that HJ is so secure in who she is. We're really fortunate in that she received so much love and individual attention at the orphanage, and even now, wherever she goes she seems to be the sort of child that doesn't get easily ignored (for good or bad I suppose!). Another good thing is that she doesn't really fall prey to that weakness that many girls have where they subconsciously feel a bit competitive with other girls and have a hard time sharing the spotlight. Yes, I know she's only 3.5 years old, but I think I can already tell that she's kind of blissfully unconcerned with petty jealousies or cliques or what people think of her. Again I'm hoping this is another character trait that will serve her well as she gets older when that subtle sort of competition can really be draining. I realize, too, that there's a difference between being a "princess" in the spoiled sense of the word, a girl who expects that everything will revolve around her, versus being a "princess" in the calm, confident, "I have a father (and Father in Heaven) who loves me so unconditionally that I know my identity and that I am a precious and valuable person."

It may have taken me a while to arrive at my own answer to the question, but I know now that these really are my hopes and dreams for HJ, and for Lila as well. Thankfully these two little princesses have a daddy who's given them a head start in this arena.