Cinderella

While I am writing this, Abby is dressed up as Cinderella and dancing with Nick. This is a regular occurence in our home. She dresses up, intructs Nick what to do as the prince, and then they reenact the beloved fairy tale. He bows and asks, "May I please have this dance?" while she bows back and says, "Of course." They continue to dance in circles, holding hands, and then Abby suddenly yells, "Oh no! It's midnight! I have to go!" She runs away, while Nick stands there yelling, "Wait! Come back! I don't even know your name!" She then proceeds to "lose" her glass slipper (or whatever shoe she finds closest to her) and has Nick try the slipper on the step-sisters (usually myself and Caleb if we are in the room) and of course the slipper fits her foot perfectly (even if it's my shoe). Then they get married.

If you have ever heard the song "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman, you can see why this song brings tears to my eyes. Usually I am not the sucker for cheesy songs, but this one always makes me smile for obvious reasons. When did I go from preparing for my wedding day and being emotional over leaving my daddy to already thinking of Nick walking Abby down the aisle?

Recently, Chapman has experienced a huge loss. His daughter was struck and killed by a vehicle in their driveway, driven by her older brother. You can read more about it here http://www.stevencurtischapman.com. I cannot imagine the grief this family is going through. Usually fathers think of their daughters leaving them when they are grown up and moving on in their lives. No dad wants to think of his daughter leaving him at such a young age. While she is safe in Heaven, it is still a tremendous loss for the family left behind. My thoughts and prayers are with this family while they deal with this tragedy.

We have no guarantees in this life. We have the hope of eternal life in Heaven, which is what I pray my children grow up always having hope in. Until that day when Jesus calls us Home, we continue on with our daily lives. For today, that means Nick playing "Pretty, Pretty Princess" with his daughter.