Keep Dreaming, Darling Daughter

Free shipping on all orders over $75🎄

I have a daughter. She is a dreamer.

I never knew having a daughter could stir up so many emotions in my heart. Yes, she is a dreamer. She’s eight and always saying things like, “When I grow up, Mom I want to be a . . . ” And all I can think is don’t grow up. You are perfect just the way you are.

I want to hold her and kiss her gently on her head and tell her all the things I want for her. But then I stop. I stop because I don’t want her to grow up. I want her to sit with me a while more, snuggling into the crook of my arm. I want to sing with her and be silly with her. I want to hold her hand and feel the warmth and the softness of her 8-year-old hand in mine. I want to lay beside her at night, reading her Charlotte’s Web and smelling her freshly-washed hair on the pillow beside my face.

She is beautiful and smart and carefree. She is every bit as beautiful as I could have imagined a daughter to be. When I look into her eyes I see her dad and I see me. Oh, how I love those eyes. When she looks at me, she sees me for who I am. She sees my flaws. She sees my imperfections. She sees all the things I am so afraid to show other people. And yet, she loves me. Her heart is so big that despite all my imperfections, flaws and rough edges, she loves me beyond measure. And I, her.

And so, I sit here not wanting to see her grow—afraid that the world will squash down that love, that carefree spirit, that dreamer inside of her.

I want to teach her so much. I want to teach her about love and kindness, friendship and faith. There are so many things I want to teach her. I want to teach her to shut the world out, but then I stop. This girl is a dreamer.

The world needs her. I need her. She needs to teach the world. She needs to teach me.

So I sit here holding her hand, smelling her hair and wondering how God has blessed me with such an incredible human being. And all I can think is you are perfect just the way you are, my daughter. Dream on little girl.

The world is waiting for you . . . and me? I will be right here holding your hand along the way. Because I know, looking at you, dreams do come true.

You may also like:

God Has Filled Your Heart With Dreams, Beautiful Girl—Chase Them With Wild Abandon

Dear Daughter, Hide These Truths in Your Heart as You Become a Woman

Dear Daughter, Do Not Be Perfect

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our new book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Her View Shop

Jenny Beaulieu

I'm a stay-at-home mom to 4 amazing kids and I've been married to my best friend for over 15 years. I'm passionate about creating a positive, uplifting space for new moms and experienced moms to support each other online. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram or read more from me on my blog Happy Healthy Family.

Six Feels So Much Bigger

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood

Six . . . Six is only one number more than five, one grade, one year . . . but it feels so different. Five is baby teeth and new beginnings. Five is venturing out into the world, maybe making a friend. Meeting a teacher. Learning to ride a bike. Six took my breath away. Six looks like a loose front tooth—tiny and wiggly, soon to be replaced by a big tooth, one that will stay forever. Six looks like a bright purple bike zooming down the driveway. RELATED: When There Are No More Little Girls’ Clothes Six looks like playing...

Keep Reading

You Were Meant to Be Our Oldest

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood

Dear oldest child, Thanks for taking one for the team. You’ve probably thought by now that Dad and I really have no idea what we are doing. You’re not wrong. Please don’t misunderstand, we have goals and ambitions as parents. We’re trying to raise you to be a healthy, positive, and contributing part of society. But you are—and have always been—our guinea pig. You are the test subject to this whole parenting thing. Each new phase you encounter brings another new phase of learning and growth. Unfortunately, with that comes growing pains, and you often take the brunt of those....

Keep Reading

The Bittersweet Reality of Your Baby Turning 5 Years Old

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood

Little girl lying on living room floor, color photo

Those first five. Those precious first five years have flown by. I blinked and here we are. I look back and think about all the times I wanted these days to go by faster. The times I couldn’t wait to get to bedtime. The days I wasted being irritable and angry because sometimes being a mom is just too hard. But now? Now, I wish I could have slowed it all down. Savored it a little longer. A little harder. That beautiful wild child who fought like hell from the moment she was born has been burning that fire ever...

Keep Reading

The Petrified-Squished-Spider Stage of Motherhood

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood, Tween

There is a squished spider corpse dangling from the inside of my car windshield. I don’t know how long it has been there. Not because I don’t know when the time of death took place, but because I’ve lost track of the number of days it’s been a fellow passenger of ours. The burial service is past due. And a cleaning of my vehicle is so long overdue, if it were a library book I’d be banned from the library by now. When my husband removed his hat one evening while driving and used it as a spider swatter, he...

Keep Reading

Listen to Their Endless Chatter Now So They’ll Talk to You as Tweens and Teens

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood, Tween

Mother and young daughter talking on the couch

I’m a talker. I’m a spill-the-beans, over-sharing, rambling on about my latest fascination chatterbox. I love words, and so do my kids. I’ve spent over a decade listening to my kids share—often, as they all talk at once. They go on and on about their day, rambling about how their sibling has been driving them nuts, their shenanigans with their friends, and never-ending factoids about video games. So many words, so many significant and yet simple thoughts brought to life in our bustling conversations. Sometimes I love all the chatter, and sometimes the sheer volume of it drives me to...

Keep Reading

Dear Kindergarten Graduate, My Hand Will Always Be Yours to Hold

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood

Tomorrow you’ll graduate kindergarten. You chose the perfect shirt for the occasion. It’s a blue and white button-up. “Get one with big checkers, Mom, not little ones,” was your request. I know it’ll make your eyes pop from under your too-big red graduation hat. It’s going to be adorable. You’re going to be adorable. You’ve been counting down the days. You’re ready and, truthfully, I am too—even though I’m so often in denial about how quickly this time with you is passing. Didn’t you just start crawling? How is it possible you’ll already be in first grade next year? RELATED:...

Keep Reading

You Were Made to Be My Oldest

In: Child

You are my firstborn. My big. The one who made me a mama. The one who started this whole crazy, beautiful roller coaster ride the day I found out you were on your way. I remember tip-toeing to the bathroom before the sun rose and taking a pregnancy test. The flutter of excitement in my heart turned into a flutter in my growing tummy within just a few short months. And now here you are, seven years old and more incredible than I imagined in all my wildest dreams. You amaze me every single day with your humor, kindness, and...

Keep Reading

I’m a Kindergarten Mom at the Bottom of the Hill

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood

Boy holding hands with his mother, color photo

The local elementary school is perched atop an obnoxious hill. It is customary for kindergarten parents to walk their children to the top of the hill as the rest of the grades, first through fifth, having earned their badge of capability and courage, walk alone. Car line is off-limits for kindergartners, which means it’s a walk in whatever weather, whenever school is in session type of vibe. My oldest misses car line. I miss it as well. It’s so simple, convenient, and most importantly, warm and waterproof. But my youngest is a kindergartner, so for the last several months we’ve...

Keep Reading

When He’s 10

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood

My son is at an age where he couldn’t care less about personal grooming, his un-selfconsciousness both admirable and aggravating to me. “Let’s clip your fingernails,” I say. No. “Clean your ears.” No. “Cut your hair.” No, Mom, come on, I like it long. But a month or so before his birthday, if he was going to remain a boy and not a lion, he needed a haircut. So, we made some kind of deal, probably a bribe, and finally. Fine. “It’ll be long again before you know it,” I told him, as we walked together into the salon, “you know how...

Keep Reading

He’s Slowly Walking Away with Footprints As Big As Mine

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood, Tween

The true measure of a mother’s love is her willingness to wake up before the sun on vacation. On a recent trip to the shore, my youngest son begged to walk the beach at dawn to look for shells. So, I set my alarm, tumbled out of a warm, king-sized bed with extra squishy pillows, glared at my dead-to-the-world husband, and gently woke my 11-year-old. Without so much as a drop of coffee, we headed out into the morning, the sun still below the ocean horizon. With each step, I shed my zombie-like state and took in the quiet, salt-kissed...

Keep Reading

Confessions of an Angry Toddler Mom

Kids

Confessions of an Angry Toddler Mom

These Little Hands Won't Be Little Forever

Toddler

If you liked this, you'll love our new book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Her View Shop

Jenny Beaulieu

Six Feels So Much Bigger

You Were Meant to Be Our Oldest

The Bittersweet Reality of Your Baby Turning 5 Years Old

The Petrified-Squished-Spider Stage of Motherhood

Listen to Their Endless Chatter Now So They’ll Talk to You as Tweens and Teens

Dear Kindergarten Graduate, My Hand Will Always Be Yours to Hold

You Were Made to Be My Oldest

I’m a Kindergarten Mom at the Bottom of the Hill

When He’s 10

He’s Slowly Walking Away with Footprints As Big As Mine

free email bonus

5 Ways to Connect with Your Kids

Keep Dreaming, Darling Daughter

If you liked this, you'll love our new book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Her View Shop

Six Feels So Much Bigger

You Were Meant to Be Our Oldest

The Bittersweet Reality of Your Baby Turning 5 Years Old

The Petrified-Squished-Spider Stage of Motherhood

Listen to Their Endless Chatter Now So They’ll Talk to You as Tweens and Teens

Dear Kindergarten Graduate, My Hand Will Always Be Yours to Hold

You Were Made to Be My Oldest

I’m a Kindergarten Mom at the Bottom of the Hill

When He’s 10

He’s Slowly Walking Away with Footprints As Big As Mine

Previous Post

Next Post

You May Also Like

5 Ways to Connect with Your Kids