beauty in the dark

I (Kelly) just finished up a night of playing with my two older princesses. We had some fun UNO time. Normally, bedtime is pretty early at the Vaughan household but tonight was different. It was unhurried. It was playful. It was us 3. It was different.

As we started our round of cards I noticed Emmiline looking over my shoulder over and over again. She was gazing beyond me to see outside. It was getting very dark very fast. As she stared she kept saying “It is so beautiful.” I didn’t know what she was seeing and so I asked “what?” Her response was “it is so beautiful, when everything is dark, and all you can see is the blue of the sky.” She went on and on. She commented on how beautiful our Lincoln, Tucker, Charli trees looked in the dark night. I was blessed by her choosing to see. I was blessed by her acknowledgement of the beauty around her. I was blessed because she spoke out the beauty that existed in the darkness. She did not realize the power of her words…but they impacted my heart. They spoke of where we have been and where we are.

I was deeply touched that my child who rarely speaks with emotion was in awe tonight. It was a gift that I deeply enjoyed. I learned two things tonight. One, I need to let my children stay up late more often to play. And, two, I need to take time to see what they see. I want to have “Emmiline eyes” ….eyes expectant to find beauty in dark places.