My Dear, Sweet, Terrible Two-Year-Old

My dear, sweet, terrible two-year-old,

You are good.

When you rip off your diaper so you can pee on the floor. When you decorate the walls with permanent marker. When you dump your dinner and your milk and your sister’s milk.

You are good.

When you scream for ten minutes because I put the wrong socks on you. When you empty the fridge and dump all the food on the floor. When you reach out of the shopping cart and grab everything that’s not on my list.

You are good.

When you climb the bookshelf and empty all the DVD cases. When you rip my favorite book apart, page-by-page. When you shout a resounding “NO!” to bedtime and teeth time and snack time and reading time.

You are good.

When you have a category 4 meltdown because you want to get dressed but don’t know how. When you look me straight in the eye before you run full speed away. When you hide my cell phone in the toilet.

You are good.

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My dear, sweet, terrible two-year-old. You are good. Tweet this.

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My dear, sweet, terrible two-year-old.

There’s not a bad bone in your body.

When God imagined you and loved you at the beginning of time, He said, “It is good.” When He knit you together in the quiet of my body, He said, “It is very good.”

He gave you curiosity. He gave you spunk. He gave you that mischievous spark in your eye.

And it is good.

He gave you free will and you’re learning how to use it. He gave you limits and you’re learning to test them. He gave you big emotions and you’re learning how to express them.

And it is good.

My dear, sweet, terrible two-year-old.

You’re growing up at a breakneck pace.

Your tiny body can’t contain your enormous personality. Your tiny hands don’t have the coordination you wish they did. Your tiny feet can’t move as fast as your amazing brain can think.

And it is good.

You need independence but you want to cling to me. You need my help but you want to do it yourself. You need guidance and you need freedom.

And it is good.

My dear, sweet, terrible two-year-old.

I love you with all my heart.

I love you through the ups and downs. I love you through the smiles and tears. I love every needy, rambunctious, adventurous fiber of your being.

Because you are good.

I love you to the moon and back. I love you for eternity. I love you no matter how frustrated I sometimes get with you.

Because you are always good.

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I love every needy, rambunctious, adventurous fiber in your body. Tweet this.

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My dear, sweet, terrible two-year-old.

You’re not so terrible.

No matter what you do. No matter how you act. No matter how loud you cry.

You are good.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

It’s not bad to get upset when you’re overwhelmed. It’s not bad to scream when you don’t get your way. It’s not bad to be two.

It’s good.

You’ll grow up soon. You’ll learn how to control your body. You’ll learn how to manage your emotions. You’ll learn how to balance independence and your need for help.

And it will be good.

You’ll learn the difference between right and wrong. You’ll learn to choose between good and bad. But no matter what you do…

You will always be good.

Someday I’ll look back on these days. I’ll remember how exhausted I was chasing after you. How tired I was from getting up to comfort you in the middle of the night. How worn out I was from always making sure you’re safe.

And I’ll remember how good it was.

And I’ll miss it.

So right now, my dear, terrible two-year-old, I’m going to make sure you know. Your value is not in what you do. Your worth is not in how you act. It’s in who you are.

You are my baby.

You are a child of God.

You are good.

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Your value is not in what you do or how you act. It’s in who you are. Tweet this.

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