A Decade of Life...A Lifetime of Promise

Once upon a time, ten years ago, a young girl gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl anyone had ever seen. Okay so she was wrinkly and had a huge bump on her head, but still she was the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen. I was 16, what did I know, everyone kept telling me how hard life was going to become and how my world would to be turned upside down. Forget about a normal teen life, I was now the mother of Mikaylah and her needs came before anything else I wanted or thought I wanted. They were absolutely right, for the most part anyway. Everything did seem to be different from the day before, but once I had her things also became normal. It was a bit trying having to raise a little baby while graduating from high school, but I did it, and I must say I did it pretty well. I can't deny that I did have help, for the first couple of years her biological father, who doesn't realize how lucky he is, made a meek effort to be involved in my princess' life, and I also lived with family, making life much more manageable for the both of us. However, what everyone failed to tell me was how a heart could actually drown from being so in love with this tiny little person. When I brought her home I was so determined not to fail that I don't think I let the emotion set in at first. But after a couple of weeks of having her home it all sank in; this was my little baby, I made crazy choices in my silly little life that allowed me to have something so special and so precious. Admiration and pride grew with every new milestone she reached and eventually she was running up to me telling me that she loved me. My little doll, as she was referred to quite a bit, grew into a little girl.

For a little while I thought that it would be her and I forever and I think I was okay with that. But as always, fate changed that and I met Erik. I don't think he had the slightest clue that Mikaylah would win his heart in just a matter of months. And now she fills all our lives with neverending pinch-me moments. More often than not I find myself reminiscing about all the smiles she causes and feeling of fear that arises when I think of anything awful happening to her. 10 years I've been blessed with being her mommy and every year I have the same thoughts: can she truly be ours, can this really be our reality. Yesterday we all played hooky and as we sat at Veterans Park tears came to my eyes knowing that in a few short years she'll be driving and then graduating high school...and, well doing all the things that young women do when they leave the safety of their home in search of their own lives. Thankfully those thoughts were interrupted by laughter and the reminder that she is still only 10 and those years can wait.

I am amazed at the life in Mikaylah's eyes, the love in her heart, and the knowledge she shows. The beauty she possesses doesn't come just from her outward appearance, she finds things in people that sometimes others do not. She wants to make sure everyone feels like they belong when they are with her. Don't get me wrong, she can't seem to keep her room clean and thinks she needs more than she really does, but that is what makes her ordinary while she can't help but be extraordinary in this world. I don't know what Erik and I did to deserve to have her as our daughter but whatever it was, thank God. My only hope is that Erik and I are doing the right thing as her parents and that she will grow to be just as incredible as a woman. People tell me all the time how great she is and no matter what I tell them, I completely and 100% agree, she is the absolute greatest daughter anyone could ever dream of having. I don'think I'm worthy of having her call me mommy, but I wouldn't give it up for anything in this world.