Who & Who’s

“Momma calls me Miss Bossy Pants”

This was shared with me as I was given the run down of spending the day with my soon to be 4 yr old. I was also informed that even though she was invited to have breakfast with papa and Grandma G, she however managed to debate her way through getting an ice cream cone at 9 am 🙄

In her short 4 yrs of life, one thing that has remained consistent is the fact she has always known what she wants and has never felt stifled in sharing her opinion. Many sundays she walks down the hallway of church with such authority, as if she has an important meeting to head too, but in reality she is trying to find a willing sibling to come and play whatever game she has decided must be played during Momma’s worship practice.

Even though she is so certain in her beliefs, I still for some reason think she might throw a curve ball from time to time. As Kyre’s gala drew nearer, I was preparing myself for a little sister to be so enthralled with ballet and a case to plead for her future involvement. I spent many mid mornings, doing chores or tackling work from home, watching shows she would put on with Veil, complete with ballet shoes and ballerina attire. The day came to watch her big sister on the stage. I was ready to hear it. The show ended and she turned to me and said “I still want to be a karate girl”, as she slid off the seat and was ready to go and congratulate her sister. As if she had read my mind, without missing a single beat.

This is life with Boo.

She likes to talk about emotions, they aren’t scary to her or something to hide, she wants them out on the table and to process them with you. She wants inside your head if there is any silence that lingers too long for her super busy brain. Her persistence to get an answer is the strongest I have dealt with in the years of raising 5 Harney babies. Her siblings would either pick up that I was consumed with something and hold their thought until I was free or would just find someone else to pester with their question.

Not Ya’el.

She will stand there, hand on her hip, eyes piercing through my brain fog as I attempt to manage all the things on my life. No response just makes her volume increase, “yes or no momma, yes or no”.

I managed to just get roped into carrying her train with clear instructions to use both hands, after being corned in my bedroom putting away clean clothes. Delighting tasks is an art form for her.

There are days I wish I had the courage to be more like my 4 yr old.

Not afraid to ask hard questions when people are being aloof, able to pierce through the societal norms of letting people just be distant and instead leaning in, striving to make connection. I wish I always knew what I wanted and was able to give up my incessant need to waiver back and forth, but instead own it and follow through with it. I also wish that my strength when it climbs out of its neatly tucked away box, would be something others willingly following because it’s so clear that I am suppose to lead, rather then walking on egg shells trying to harness my strength to not come off so “intimidating”.

Ya’el Ariel Ruth owns who she is.

I am excited to watch this little pint size boss grow and continue to hone her innate skills that God so clearly knit within her.

The world needs more girls and women, sure of themselves. Feet firmly planted in their beliefs, not able to be knocked over by the unending pressure the world delivers and wants to hold girls and women under its thumb. The world needs more women who will see their strength is a God given blessing that was given with the plan that injustice, darkness and inequality will not prevail against the very thing God has given to his daughters, especially my very own Boo Bear.

Dear Boo Berry,

You are 4 today and I still remembering walking to school with you contently tucked in my womb on the last day of school, past your due date and being the very little soul God intended you to be. Following your own plans and not the others. Your time here in our family has shown me many times, His ways and His plans are higher then mine. You and all your personality that doesn’t fit in your tiny little body has won the hearts of many people. I see the smiles and chuckles as you confidently go about your day. You were given free gifts, extra umbrellas for your drink and told many times how precious you were on the island of Kauai, and proved yet again how magnetic your soul is.

I pray that I run towards your hard questions, I pray that I help you not be afraid of your strength as you grow and others try to diminish it, I pray that in all that you do, you continue to know who and who’s you are.

God’s special treasure.