Back in the winter of 2000, Travis Tritt released the hit song, "It's a Great Day to be Alive". It goes something like this...
"It's a great day to be alive; I know the sun's still shinin' when I close my eyes; There's some hard times in the neighborhood; But why can't every day be just this good....
You may or may not remember the song, but I know I will never forget it, and here's why... My youngest daughter, Emma, loved to sing and has always had a knack for picking up the lyrics to every song she hears almost immediately-this song included. Anyway...one day in the summer of 2001, when Emma was five, I told her to get out of the swimming pool and dry off while I started fixing dinner. Emma's mode of drying off was usually the swing set, so off she went. When I looked out the kitchen window, there she was--swinging as high as she could; her long hair trailing behind her. But she wasn't just swinging. She was swinging AND singing at the top of her lungs. And yep, you guessed it...she was singing "It's a Great Day to be Alive" at the top of her lungs.
What made this so incredibly sweet was that Emma wasn't just singing the song...she believed it with her whole heart. I can still hear that little voice and see my little girl wearing a Little Mermaid swimming suit 'flying' through the air. It was one of the most profound moments of my life.
Yes, profound, because she believed with her whole being that it really was a great day to be alive. She was safe, happy, loved, secure...everything a child deserves to be. What better affirmation as a parent could there possibly be, right? And in that moment I couldn't have been more thankful that John and I were able to give her that.
As parents our goal should be to make every day a great day for our children to be alive. No, not by giving them everything they think they want and need. No, not by working non-stop to be able to take them on exotic or expensive vacations. No, not by providing them with a house so big you have to look to find one another. As parents our goal should be to make every day a day our children know for sure and for certain that they are safe, happy, loved, secure...everything a child deserves to be. Why? Because Momma D says so.
Love,
Momma D
You may or may not remember the song, but I know I will never forget it, and here's why... My youngest daughter, Emma, loved to sing and has always had a knack for picking up the lyrics to every song she hears almost immediately-this song included. Anyway...one day in the summer of 2001, when Emma was five, I told her to get out of the swimming pool and dry off while I started fixing dinner. Emma's mode of drying off was usually the swing set, so off she went. When I looked out the kitchen window, there she was--swinging as high as she could; her long hair trailing behind her. But she wasn't just swinging. She was swinging AND singing at the top of her lungs. And yep, you guessed it...she was singing "It's a Great Day to be Alive" at the top of her lungs.
What made this so incredibly sweet was that Emma wasn't just singing the song...she believed it with her whole heart. I can still hear that little voice and see my little girl wearing a Little Mermaid swimming suit 'flying' through the air. It was one of the most profound moments of my life.
Yes, profound, because she believed with her whole being that it really was a great day to be alive. She was safe, happy, loved, secure...everything a child deserves to be. What better affirmation as a parent could there possibly be, right? And in that moment I couldn't have been more thankful that John and I were able to give her that.
As parents our goal should be to make every day a great day for our children to be alive. No, not by giving them everything they think they want and need. No, not by working non-stop to be able to take them on exotic or expensive vacations. No, not by providing them with a house so big you have to look to find one another. As parents our goal should be to make every day a day our children know for sure and for certain that they are safe, happy, loved, secure...everything a child deserves to be. Why? Because Momma D says so.
Love,
Momma D
No comments:
Post a Comment