Who is this girl I see…
My Beautiful little princess recently turned 8.
Megan came into our lives in a whirlwind of drama. After 5 weeks of slow labour she was eventually born by emergency section.
Megan most commonly means Pearl but it also means child of light or strong and capable. These so suit my Megan! She’s so strong and faces life head on and her ability to take on new challenges, her intelligence and her compassion blow my mind.
Don’t get me wrong: having a 8 year old who thinks she is 18 isn’t always easy. Just last week after 5 years of hard work she gave up ballet and as much as it make me feel really sad, once we put the decisions in her hands and she made that decision it was like a physical weight lifted off her shoulders.
The thing is there’s so many options for our kids now and from Megan was born I wanted to open every door I could for her. But sometimes I push her through every door I see and that’s not always the best way either. Sometimes kids just want time to sit on the floor and play with their toys. Lesson learnt!!
Although she gave up ballet she still does violin lessons, orchestra and drama classes and this week for the first time she played violin in church in front of around 300 people – twice!! She sounds super confident from everything I’ve just written but Megan has the overwhelming shy side. When she goes to school her teacher can barely hear her, when she speaks to me half the time I feel like I’m going deaf because I cant make out a word she says but when she got on that stage, and its the same in drama, she just comes alive. She dances, she twirls, she plays with confidence and pride, head held high, shoulders back. This is the girl I always want her to know she is. I want her to look in the mirror and know this is the person she was created to be.
When Megan is full of confidence it is because she’s assured of her ability in that area. Often it comes from amazing leaders building her confidence. Sometimes it’s something she knows within herself and sometimes it’s something she had grown into. Megan works really hard at school and she is clever but she knows she works at it and she hasn’t quite found her feet yet and with that comes the shyness. That’s ok: its a process and a good learning curve, that will come with time. Her little personality is so different in different situations I often find myself thinking wow, who is this girl, she amazes me constantly.
When I look at her I am amazed that I get to be her mummy. It’s such a privilege as she’s such an incredible person. With that comes an incredible responsibility. I never see more of myself in Megan than when shes angry. How I react is exactly how she reacts. Kids are like sponges and they just soak up everything we say and do. I like to think I see myself in her ambition too, in her ability to dream big, to believe in fairytales and princesses.
The reality is that as much as she is her own person, that awesome personality has been impacted by many women.
Her Granny who adores her and never stops telling her how wonderful she is.
Her Nanny (Ben’s step mum) who teaches her that family is more than blood and it’s choosing to love unconditionally.
Her Great Grandma who prayed for her before she was even born.
Her Granny Lorna who told her anything was possible.
Her Aunty who teaches her to follow her heart.
Her countless kids leaders who teacher her to dream big, be fearless and have courage.
Her teachers who see beyond her quiet voice to the clever untapped potential.
The list is endless.
Today on international women’s day, know that your bravery, your words, your journeys are being watched by little eyes – you are teaching future generations how to be awesome women. Women who don’t even consider not being equal to men, who believe that any dream is achievable, that no mountain is too high and no goal unachievable. If we as women build each other up or tear each other down we teach them how to treat each other, how to do friendships and how to do life.
This girl I see is a mini me and mini version of the people around her.
She is a girl who I am so proud to parent, a girl who lights up my life and a girl who will grow to be an inspirational woman.
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