The tiny stone laid on the ground in the midst of the ordinary dull brown and black gravel. This was no ordinary rock; it was shiny and that of a white pearlescent diamond color- nothing like its peers. It sparkled in the morning sun as if it was trying to get attention. Attention is exactly what it found when my 4-year-old excitedly picked it up as we were getting into the truck this morning to head to school. She was thrilled to find a shiny new rock on the ground and lit up with great animation with further inspection of this shiny new treasure. She held it tight in her closed fist, making sure it wouldn’t fall to the ground of the truck, only opening her hand slowly to peek at it every few moments. Yes! It was still there. I told her to hold it up to the ray of the sun that peered through the window to see how sparkly it was when the light hit it. She proudly held it high and admired its’ beauty…

…while my daughter and I have had many great conversations in her short 4 years, I found this one- as short as it was, very inspiring and true.

As we drove to school, we were listening to a song on the radio called “Forever Girl” by Jon Langston. As the song is a slower song, I noticed my daughter’s demeanor change from “happy-treasure-finding-sparkling-giggle” to “This is a sad song, Mom”. I told her that, “It wasn’t a sad song, in fact- it’s a love song. He’s telling her that ‘She’s his forever girl and everything in his whole world. You see? The man is telling the woman he loves her with his whole heart.” My daughter, starting to light back up says, “Just like my Auntie Julie! Auntie Julie loves me with my whole…. um…. her whole heart. Just like my shiny new rock. It reflects the sun and it reflects like Auntie Julie’s heart.”

Her words, inevitably, made my face leak and not because it made me sad- but because it brought joy to my heart. A joy that only a 4-year-old could offer at that moment. A realization of the fact that her Auntie Julie makes her feel so loved and happy. A moment of clarity that in fact her Auntie Julie reflects so much shiny and pure authentic sparkle that she had made an impression on my daughter.

I immediately had to pull over my truck and write down our conversation, not because I thought that I would forget it, but it needed to be exactly how she said it. Because one day, I want her to read these posts and realize what a heart of gold she has, even at 4 years old. And, not just THAT- but I wanted my sister, Julie, to know how much she inspires my children and how much love is continuously coming from her whole heart. It explodes out of her like a fucking glitter bomb! You’d be finding it in your hair for days!

This, of course, had me thinking the whole day. Thinking about my children and how they can feel someone’s authenticity and truth. They can truly understand the love and reflect how people make them feel. It’s a sentiment that most adults have forgotten because we are always trying to please and slap on a smile. Genuine is a whole hearted treasure. A shiny, sparkling treasure. I am fortunate enough to have these kinds of people in my life and in my children’s lives…

…for they are no ordinary rocks, they are sun-reflecting, sparkling badass treasures in the midst of the ordinary dull brown and black gravel. Nothing like its peers.

Life is short, make it sweet.

❤ AM