To My Children

Dear Caden and Addison,

There are alot of compliments people could give you, if I do say so myself...  and any number of them would make me proud.  But this week I got a real stop-your-heart compliment, courtesy of preschool.  I was almost last in the pick-up line so the teacher had a moment to talk, and somehow she starting talking about how cute you were when you said the before-snack blessing...

"They both just fold up their little hands and bow their head and pray...  with such...  reverence!"

Time stood still in my world as everything in that hallway faded away and I listened to someone else describe you both that way.

"I mean, we try to teach the kids to be reverent, you know, not clapping after the prayer like we would the birthday song, but they show real reverence...  Yes, that is really the best word to describe it...  Reverence."

She's right, sweet babies.  I cannot possibly describe how beautiful you are when you clench those long lashes shut and repeat our mealtime prayer with your palms pressed together.  How much I treasure the way that you say, "I sayed it in my heart" when you don't pray out loud with us sometimes.  How my heart sings when I ask you who we're talking to when we pray, and you say, "We are talking to God!"  How it feels to hear you whispering your night time prayer underneath my chin as I get ready to tuck you in at night.  Knowing that every night we all ask, "May angels watch me through the night..."

If I don't do another thing in this world right, I'm glad your Dad and I have helped you to learn this much; there are some things that require reverence.  Later on, you'll learn about how other people have sacrificed to provide and protect your freedom.  How a mountain or a waterfall or a sunset need to be experienced with a quiet spirit and an open heart to be properly appreciated.  How we should honor our eldest, for their life experience and hard-earned wisdom.  But first, we start with God.  For really where else is there to begin??

Love Always,

Mommy