Polishing Gold

This past year I have spent a great deal of my time polishing gold. Cleaning, polishing, and buffing. If you want your gold to shine, you have to be patient with it. You have to be gentle with it. It can be soft and bend easily, but also very dense and heavy. Gold is resistant and doesn’t tarnish easily. It can also be stretched finely without breaking.

I don’t have gold bars, guys. I have something better, my Elle. If you know me, you know that my children are my treasure. They are my gold. And, today is special because my gold is celebrating her golden birthday—sixteen on the sixteenth.

This past year has been one of her most challenging years academically. Geometry and Biology were difficult. If there were books, she would burn them. Dating gave her new experiences and lessons. And, of course, learning to really drive is on the horizon.

I tell her all the time that she’s my golden girl. Normally, she shines bright like gold. She works hard. She shows up. She’s involved. She puts God first. But sometimes, even gold needs a good buffing and polishing.

This year as she fought hard academically, I could see her shine dulling. I was constantly encouraging her to pray and keep mother Mary close. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill her with the fire. The fire to keep pushing when your best doesn’t seem to be enough.

Then of course, there were lessons on dating. Lessons that have to be lived and learned. Lessons on understanding your own values. Lessons on remaining focused on your own path and on not making someone else your entire world, only a part of your world.

Reminders on the importance of figuring out who you are, what motivates you, and who/what brings you joy.

This past year we spent a lot of time buffing and polishing our gold so that with the dawn of this new year, she can shine. So, go shine my girl.

Happy Golden Birthday, Elle! 💛⭐️