As I was preparing to go to an evening baby shower, Natalie got soooooooooooo excited to help me get ready. “Mama, can I pleeeeeeeeease help pick out your outfit?!? Mama, can I pleeeeeeeeease pick out your shoes?!? Mama, can I pleeeeeeeeease pick out your jewelry??!?!” And here was the real clincher: “Mama, can I pleeeeeeeeease put my lip gloss on you?”

Yes, her tiny itty bitty Disney lip gloss container that she got as a party favor from one of her preschool friends’ birthday parties last year. This tiny little lip gloss she saves for fancy occasions. Tonight she wanted to share that with me and share in the joy of my getting to “dress up” to go out to an event.

“Mama will you please crouch down?” And with a great big smile on my face and the sweetest contentment in my heart, I slid down the bathroom cabinet so I was crouched down at her eye level. And there I sat crouched, as she ever so carefully “did up” her mama’s lips with her shiny lip gloss. She was so focused and so careful with each little stroke. I kept telling myself, “really?!? is she only 4??!?” And I was soaking up every precious second of it.

As I stood up tall and looked at myself in the mirror, I exclaimed “Natalie, it looks soooooooooooooo great!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!” My lips were glistening! Deep down in my heart I felt a feeling I haven’t felt before and I’m not even sure how to put into words. Awe. Joy. Sweetness. Reverie. This beautiful blending of all the happiest feelings. Oh how I love my Natalie. Tonight I celebrated being a mom of a true girly girl.