On Having Daughters

I remember when I was pregnant with Merrody (before I knew any better) I hoped I was having a boy. I thought it would be fun to raise a family of boys and maybe one daughter. I'm pretty sure that's the last time I wished for a boy.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my two boys! Joel and Jack are constantly surprising me and at the same time they are everything boys should be--they are loud and rough and athletic. They love to wrestle and look devastatingly handsome in their Sunday best. I'm positive I would pine for boys if I didn't have them.

And yet, I am constantly grateful for the girls in my life. Merrody and Norah are polar opposites. While Merrody never cared a bit for dolls or Barbies, fairies or Strawberry Shortcake, Norah can't get enough of those things. Merrody is my animal fanatic, my science girl, my bookworm and organizer. Norah is a running mess, a total drama queen and a social butterfly.

If you look at their contrasting personalities and add it to a seven year age difference, you wouldn't expect much in the way of friendship for these two. But they manage to LOVE each other. They find a way to play together. Merrody is Norah's second mother and Norah follows her around like a lost puppy.

When I think about the relationship I have with each of my six sisters, I am grateful these cute girls have each other. I imagine them leaning on each other during difficult times and turning to each other for advice, just as I do with my sisters. And when I think of how much I love my own mother, I hope these two sweet girls will save just a little bit of the fun to share with me, too.