An Unexpected Effect

When I gave my daughter the middle name of Georgia, it was primarily to ensure that my dear friend's legacy of love and kindness lived on. I figured that adding her name to our family would facilitate discussions about what it means to be kind, loving, giving, happy, and Christ-like, just as Georgia always was. I hoped that the daughter who carried this name would in some way be able to take on some of these characteristics, that it would be she who benefited from carrying on Georgia's name.

And then this daughter turned two. Don't get me wrong; she's a loving, caring, warm, fun-loving little girl. But when you're two years old, you (and your parents) just go through some growing pains and limit-testing. That's how it works. But even though my brain knows this is "just a stage", sometimes my spirit grows weary of constantly trying to reinforce those limits, not to mention reinforcing them in a loving way.

And so the other day, when I had come to my wits' end, I firmly called my daughter by her full name, to get her attention and to convey the fact that I was not altogether happy with whatever misdeed she had just performed. And the minute Georgia's name left my lips, I felt my heart soften. It was like she was next to me, helping me calm down, reminding me that life is short and precious, and that my supreme goal as a mother is to surround my daughter with love and acceptance. I was reminded that I should strive for those attributes that Georgia so beautifully embodied. Whatever rage had built up inside me, quickly dissipated and was replaced with softness and compassion.

Our days are still filled with limit-testing and occasional time-outs, but I'm grateful that my parenting has been softened, and filled with love thanks to Georgia's beautiful name and all it stands for.

Thanks again, Chach, for remaining such a strong force for good in my life and life of my daughter.