Tonight over dinner, my husband and I were going back and forth over who should pray, and bless our meal. We held our hands together when suddenly we heard the softest, sweetest voice begin to pray, that instantly silenced us. That sweet voice is our three-year-old daughter. My husband and I couldn’t take our eyes off her little head bowed down slightly. Her eyes were closed, with her small hands together tightly as she prayed, “Bless Us O Lord, and These Thy Gifts Which We Are About to Receive From Thy Bounty through Christ Our Lord, Amen.” Even our one-year-old listened in awe. I was left in tears, and both my husband and I praised her for boldly saying the prayer, and for saying it for her first time! I was absolutely amazed she remembered the whole prayer. It was the sweetest moment I’ll remember forever.

Earlier that morning, I woke up with my one-year-old and started making homemade cinnamon rolls. The plans for the day were to take my oldest daughter to get her first haircut, and get mine cut as well. When she woke up, she helped me sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon filling, and cut and roll the yummy sweets. We baked them, and frosted them, and ate one, then rushed off to our haircut appointment.

My daughter absolutely loved it. I’m glad I waited until she was ready to sit through a haircut happily. She thought it was neat to get a top braid after the trim. I saved the first curl that was cut off. Do people still save these? I didn’t want to regret not saving it, so yes I saved it. I really cannot process how fast babies grow. She was just a little baby with no hair on her head to now sitting in a booster smiling at me getting her first haircut. I’ll forever thank God for bringing her into our lives, and for making me her mom.

As we approach the Feast day for St. John Paul II on October 22, I found it very fitting to include some of his beautiful wisdom. My husband and I choose every day to make our marriage what it is. It is work, not something that is just given to us. We have to choose every day to work on our marriage. My husband and I have been working so hard raising our babies and showing them how to pray. She now says Hail Mary, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep bedtime prayer, and we are working on The Our Father, Lord’s Prayer with her. This little moment, our daughter’s first prayer, is one we will remember forever.