Oh, to see life through the eyes of a little girl…it’s a beautiful thing.

I have four sons, six grandsons (two are yet to be born) and one – yes, one – granddaughter. I adore all of my kids and grand-kids, but I’ve become so accustomed to having boys around the house, that I can’t help but be in awe every time my granddaughter comes to hang out with me.

The boys will wander through the house noticing things like the fruit snacks in the big glass container, a piece of wood that my lab dragged in, a dime hiding in a dusty corner, the electronic gadgets lying around the house and the Tonka trucks I’ve kept, over the years, and have lined up in the garden.

They enjoy the wind chimes hanging on my front porch and with a mighty force will get them all ringing in the tone of one big loud and messy gong. They can easily find things that have been lost in the grass or the brown colored bug that’s trying hide in the dirt. I adore their simple and no fuss way of seeing life. They inspire this ol’ tomboy to get outdoors and explore.

And then there’s my granddaughter. When she got old enough to walk around, her eyes seemed to focus in on all things that are girly. She notices things like my jewelry lying on the shelf, the pretty yellow dandelions in the grass, or a pretty shiny rock in the dirt. She loves my wind chimes, and creates a pretty melody by gently brushing the palm of her hand across the bottom of them.

I remember the day she noticed my big china cabinet, and upon spotting my great-grandmother’s ceramic apple cookie jar and matching accessories, she said with wide eyes, “I want that.” My heart practically skipped a beat; to have this little person who appreciated the feminine things scattered about my home; things that even I forgot about.

I have a collection of porcelain fairies that my sisters gave to me that I’ve tucked into little nooks and crannies around my home. I love whimsy – and I’m finding that my granddaughter does too. The first time she spotted one on a shelf, her eyes lit up like she found some little hidden treasure. I told her it was okay for her to touch it. How did she know to handle it so gently? Like she just knew it was something precious and delicate. One of her favorite things to do is to go around my home and find the fairies that are hidden about. I move them around now, just to keep her looking.

Personally, this is new territory for me. Not only have I raised boys, but I was quite the little tomboy growing up. While I appreciated some little girl things, like a few dolls and stuffed animals…I preferred playing outdoors and beating the boys at everything they did. I could run faster, climb higher, and smack the marbles out of the circle better than any of the boys on our block. I was never one for frilly dresses, but have always felt most comfortable in a blouse, jeans and flip-flops.

So having this little girl around in my life has me in awe as I watch her grow and appreciate all things girly. At times, I have felt intimidated because I feel like I’m not particularly good at girl stuff. I mean, I’m used to boy stuff. I don’t even know where to properly place a barrette in her hair. I’ve never been very good at putting my own hair into an updo, so at my home, she has one style…loose, free and curly. 

Life is such a great big journey. I’ve always been a girl who thinks outside the box and I have come to appreciate all that life has thrown my way – the bad with the good. Just when I think that I’ve got it all figured out, this little girl shows me that there’s so much more that I haven’t even scratched the surface on.

While I hope to teach her all about embracing her life; accepting every aspect of it including her little quirks and imperfections, finding happiness in God and in herself…not in other people and things – just learning to live, laugh, and love…I realize that she is also teaching me. She’s helping me to tap into a part of me that I never really ventured into; to embrace this girly-girl person inside of me and I’m thankful for this. While I’ve always appreciated the beauty in things, it’s like I’m getting a fresh new look through little girl eyes.

For the very first time in my life, I have two ceramic tea cups.  You see, I have never had a tea party. I wasn’t interested in such things as a little girl. When I saw the set, I bought them knowing that she and I would enjoy a lot of tea parties together.

So, imagine my delight when she came into my home and made a b-line for the dining room. She was heading to the china cabinet to look for a fairy, knowing that I usually have one in there. But on her way to the cabinet, she stopped…and saw the two pretty cups sitting on a side table. She decided right then and there that it was time to drink out of them. And since I’m like butter in her hands, I agreed and got a couple of bottles of water – or “tea” – to pour into our cups.

With the little ceramic spoon she began stirring and then slurping her “tea” from it. While I found this endearing, I told her that we were supposed to put the spoon on our saucer once we’re done stirring and sip it like a lady. She set her spoon aside, picked up her cup and sipped. It was a beautiful sight to take in as she lifted her pretty little cup with her dainty little hands and sipped up the “tea” with her dainty little lips.

And then…she loudly burped!
…and two little girls sat there and laughed.

I thought, “Oh good…she does have a little bit of tomboy in her. I think I’ll be able to handle this.” And I poured her another cup.