I'm remiss for not writing this post sooner - things happen and excuses abound however it's too sweet not to post even now a week later.
Ava Lynn and I were having one of our little conversations that she is famous for. Always asking the good, deep, probing questions. We were on the way up to horseback riding lessons and on the way there we drive past a cemetery. Normally she comments on a statue, or some of the flowers but this particular day she asked specifically what those markers are for.
I explained to her that when people die who love God, their bodies are buried in the ground and a marker is placed there for people to come visit, or pay their respects. But that our souls go to heaven to be with God.
You see where this is going.
"Momma, what is a soul?"
Out of the mouths of babes.... I told her that our soul is the thing inside us that makes us beautiful, that sees joy and beauty in the world, and that loves God. It's the part of us that makes us who we are.
We talk often at our house about inner beauty. People are always commenting on how beautiful the girls are when we are out at the store or somewhere. Abigail usually rolls her eyes, Ava Lynn just looks at me and Annabelle right now is at the age where there is NO concept of "stranger danger". So she usually just waves at and reaches for whoever is in her face oohing and aahing about her.
I explain to the girls that yes, they ARE beautiful, but most of what makes them beautiful is what is in their hearts, their soul. How they choose to react to the world and the people around them, whether it's with kindness or cruelty it's all up to them, and their reactions and actions reflect what is on the inside. When their soul is bright, so is their outside.
So, continuing the brief conversation on the way up the mountain, I reminded her what we talk about. About being beautiful on the inside, what makes us gorgeous is our Soul, our Love for God, how we treat people and the part of us that chooses to see joy and beauty and love around us.
She nodded, and said. "ooohhhhh."
I'm SURE we will be having THAT conversation again!
