Dear Madison,

We’re just at the early stages of being able to have conversations with one another, and it makes your word-loving mama’s heart warm when you simply want to sit and tell me about your day. My favorite part of my entire day is picking you up from daycare and listening to you chatter in the backseat about everything you did, who you played with, what you ate, and what you loved.

On picture day you told me what everyone was wearing and how the photographer asked you to say “monkey” instead of “cheese” when they took the photo. Last night at bedtime you “read” me a book and told me that you only sometimes like pineapple because you think it’s “tasty” (aka: sour or spicy). I would have let you talk to me all night if I didn’t know you were trying to delay bedtime.

I hope you always want to tell me about your day. I pray that God would create between us a safe place to share, to confide, to be open about the good, the bad, and everything in between. Not so I can fix it, but so you always know that someone is here for you, even on the hardest days.

Our girl talk right now might look a lot like mommy making up princess stories at bedtime and you telling me about your favorite cousin Bella as you take a bubble bath, but I cherish every word. And more than that, I love how you trust me with your words and your stories. I pray that as you grow older and God brings other people into your life that you would still find in me a trusting, listening ear.

My heart’s desire for you, my sweet girl, is that you would know that your words are valuable. Your story is important to me. I see God at work in your life as you grow and learn, as you start to care about others and find joy in trying something new. I see Him creating in you a mind that loves storytelling, and I’ve seen you grow this year as you’ve learned that a conversation is not asking the same question 20 times, but listening to the answer and creating a new question.

When you’re older maybe our girl talk will happen over coffee at Starbucks instead of juice boxes at the park, but regardless of where we meet, I hope you’ll always know that your word-loving, story-cherishing mama loves you and can’t wait to hear about your day.

Love,

Your mama.