My Girls

This photo wins the “Best Candid Picture.” It is one of my favorites, but its meaning goes a lot deeper than just a cute snapshot. First, I think it is the only one of just the three of us girls. It wasn’t deliberately posed that way, but I’m glad we have one like that. It reminds me of the appreciation I feel anytime someone makes reference to my daughters because they recognize that I have more than just Natalie.

The other special meaning in this picture is the outfits the girls are wearing. Merideth is wearing one of my favorite newborn outfits from when Natalie was a baby, so of course I was excited to dress up Merideth in it, too. I recall that morning kind of consciously choosing Natalie’s outfit because it was also purple checkered and happened to have a flower on the shirt. It was fun to dress them in almost matching outfits, since I would not have the opportunity to make something special like that for my girls later on.

Natalie loves her little sister. She continues to talk about Merideth regularly, and I will be sad the day grows out of calling her “Mer-di-deth.” Sometimes she will say something about Merideth that she remembers or simply state, “My sister died.” Sometimes she will ask, “What is Merideth doing in heaven?” and I explain that she is helping other people learn about Jesus. And it is really cute when Natalie includes Merideth as a playmate, incorporating her into her activities, like talking to her on the phone or having a place for her at our make-believe picnic.

For the most part, I have not been sad as I look at other babies who would be about Merideth’s age or wonder what she would be able to do at this point. I think I might notice that a little more once I have another baby and remember the things I missed out on with Merideth. I do get sad, though, when I think of Natalie missing out on growing up with her little sister. They would be such great friends.

The other day Natalie was playing with some toys and had three of the same of something, so she told me they were a family. I pointed out to her that families can be big or small, and we talked about some examples of families we know. Without skipping a beat, Natalie said, "We have five people in our family." I wanted to see where she was coming from, so I asked her to tell me who they were: Mom, Dad, Natalie, Merideth and Baby Brother. I love how perceptive she is to recognize all members of our family.