Dear Cleo,

I am sitting here, in my favorite space, listening to the birds and the noise of the early morning commute, in the distance. The rain has subsided for the moment but may too soon, return.  Wow! Nineteen already!  How quickly the years have flown by.  I remember like it was yesterday, the doctors preparing us for a C-Section.  You went from crawling to standing to walking in under nine months!

You couldn’t wait to be a big girl. Before you could speak, you were already making plans for your life. “I can do it!” and “Let me do it!” were a few of your first complete sentences.  The caption ‘if you don’t hear me, find me’ was written with you in mind, because where you were, disaster quickly followed.  You got into everything, nothing was sacred around you.  Remember that time you locked your grandma out of the house? Or that time when you lathered yourself and your sister with petroleum jelly?  Every step you tried to take, you kept on falling. Where has the time gone?

You will do well, Cleo, if you continue to submit to the Word of God. You have such great insight!  I hear you speak and I wonder at your wisdom. You are a loyal sister and friend.  You look out for others, and you stand up for them.  You have a passion and zeal for life.  You take pleasure in helping others.  The Lord can do so much with you, if you allow Him.  Your favorite activity is ‘go’, but you may at times be required to ‘stay’. Your preferred speed is ‘fast’ but it may be necessary for you to ‘wait’. I dare you to listen, Cleo, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit; His ways are not your ways.

You are beautiful, one of a kind, created in the image of the Almighty God, made to bring Him glory.  Remember you are saved to serve not things, but people.  Allow the Lord to direct your path.  Today’s decisions can have lifetime consequences; try not to be impulsive when you make them.  Enjoy this time of your life; make new friends, see the world, laugh… there’ll be time, soon enough to weep.  Remember the world isn’t fair! I know you may not believe me, but people’s opinions about you will really not matter as much as it does right now.  Always be prepared to leave an exemplary impression on the people you meet, (think about it; the previous two sentences do not contradict each other).  Don’t look to friends, peers, or acquaintances to validate you; they are incapable of it; that’s too much pressure on them.  Revel in the fact that you are worth so much that Christ died for your sins.  Wait, sweetheart, wait for that man, who will love you and cherish you.  Don’t be too hasty, not any man will do, ensure you can trust his word. Remember if he loves the Lord with all his heart, then and only then can he truly love you.

Be a lady, Cleo, a woman of virtue.  The Bible tells us, she is more valuable than rubies.  Start there.

I love you, Cleo.

Mom