Once upon a time …

It’s the way so many childhood stories begin. The words quickly take us back into stories of possibilities, dreams, beauty, courage, and magic.

She brings an old book off the shelf, holding it to her chest tightly, taking in the smell of the aged pages. She lays on the kitchen floor on her belly and turns the pages as if she could read them. But she is twenty nine months old and has a ways to go before she will read on her own.

She tells me to come look, to read the book, it’s fun. I take the opportunity to lay down opposite her on my belly and begin to read to her the very same way I read to my first two granddaughters, and my own two children.

She points at the words with her little finger as if actually reading along as I begin to say aloud:

“Once upon a time, there was a little girl name Eliza.”

She looks up with a small grin on her face. She returns to pointing her finger across the words …

“She had beautiful curly hair and a very pretty dress on.”

She stands to shake her curls, give her dress the once over, smiles, and lays back down on the floor …

“She had on her red Elmo socks because she loves Elmo.”

She sits up and begins to wave her feet around so I can see Elmo, the grin on her face now as big as it can get and she starts to giggle.

The story can go on and on to her delight, the words assuring her she is loved and affirming she is valued.

But somewhere along life’s way, we sometimes forget the assurance and affirmation, losing sight that we are loved and valued.

The sweetness of Eliza on her belly, her finger glancing over the words on the pages, as she smiled and twirled is a memory I want to hold onto.

I want to hold onto the memory because it represents each one of us.

I hope you will join me at Woman to Woman Ministries HERE to read of the assurance and affirmation we need to remember.

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash
Today I am joining … Inspire Me Monday and Remember Me Monday .