Today I Love...My Running Girl - Slice of Life Tuesday Challenge

     Okay, now how exactly did this happen?  18 years ago today, I sat my bulging self down in church on a beautifully sunny Easter morning, dreaming of the French toast with strawberries that I had been craving, as only a pregnant woman can do, and knew was waiting for me at Cracker Barrel after services.  The Man and I would pick the Boy up from his Sunday school class, the Grandparents would meet us at the restaurant with an Easter basket for the Boy, and I would be a happy woman.
     About halfway through the choir's beautiful selections, I felt a little twinge and thought to myself..."Hmm...I still have three days to go.  Nah, couldn't be." 

Fast forward several hours 
into the evening and 

Rachel Elizabeth Eaton 

slipped easily 
and quietly 
into our world 

changing it 
forever 

and much for the better.  

Such a good baby, 

scaring us both silly 

when she slept 

through the night

 at six weeks! 

 

And now...

it's 18 whole years later 

and this sweet baby girl is 

running...

running...

running...

She runs to school, 

she runs after school, 

she runs to work, 

she runs with her friends.  

She is getting ready to run 

right up the road 

to college 

and our world 

will change

 once again.  

She will run her race.  

And she will win.

 

She has her eyes set

firmly

on the future 

and she has a plan.  

She knows 

where she wants to go 

and she knows 

what she wants to do 

when she gets there.  

     I don't know how 
this much time has passed
 in what feels like
 the blink of an eye, 
or how this sweet baby girl
 of ours
 has grown up so quickly, 
but we are so proud 
to be a part of her life.  
We will miss her 
when she is running 
her own race 
and The Man and I 
can't always be there
 at the finish line for her.  
Hopefully she'll invite us 
to come along side 
from time to time 
to cheer her on 
or hand her a water bottle.  
But isn't that what life is all about?  
Learning 
to run your own race
your path
your way.

Today I love 
my beautiful
intelligent
determined 
daughter. 

Happy Birthday, Rachel.
  
Run your race 
as only you can!