blessed

yesterday we blessed elliot at church.
it was… a little overwhelming.
i mean, how do you address and cover all that a human being is to encounter in this life in a few short minutes? where to begin?! and, where to end?
life is exciting and it’s scary. it’s fun and it’s sad. it’s dangerous and adventurous and opportunities are infinite (as are my hopes for her) and i want her to excel in all of them. and not like the get an A in math class type of excellence—though if that’s what she wants, that’s fine, too—but more the type of excellence of character to handle moments that weave a tapestry of a life that is FULL—a life of joy and experience, a story filled with friends and love and laughter and pain (because you can’t have any of the former without that key latter ingredient) and then triumph after that pain, back to love and laughter and joy.
i felt like all these possible scenarios went flying through my mind and i wanted to pray her the power and wisdom, the love and humility, the integrity, the humor, and the moxie to just be awesome! to be, like… the very best elliot jane that she can be.
how do you say all this? and all to such a very little human being… it would crush her, wouldn’t it?
so i didn’t say much (the words come now much more than then, standing there in the silence with a couple hundred ears listening in on the most intimate conversation that i desperately wanted to have with her). i hope Heavenly Father understood what i meant, though, and i imagine He did. i hope over the years he teaches me, too, what i meant because i’m still not sure i fully understand. and then i hope He helps me to teach her what i meant.

you know, though, i should mention one thing that i said that was actually specific (i think the only specific thing i mentioned): i want her to learn from her mom. doing that, she can’t go too wrong, i don’t think.