She Sees Beauty, and Gives It a Name

   

     “I think I will call her Amelia.”

     This pronouncement comes from my daughter as we pause in the front yard on our way into the house.          The sunlight had illuminated a yellow maple that divides our lawn from our neighbor’s, and my girl (appropriately named Autumn) decided it was not enough to simply appreciate God’s beauty, but to give it a name.

     That’s how we roll at our house.

     This is the same child who commented as a little girl that she likes daffodils because they look like they are laughing at her. I love that about my now-teenage daughter. She doesn’t know the names of the people who live on our block, but she can tell you the names of their animals. And, she’s not the least bit embarrassed to grab our giant collection of sidewalk chalk and sit in the street to draw fantastical images, just because.

     And why not? Every day in high school has the potential to be a judgment day, yet she walks in proudly–makeup applied to perfection, and seizes the day. She has her moments of insecurity, but she’s not one to let someone step on her soul.

     To the boy who said she could benefit from taking the personal fitness class to lose some weight, she said, “And you have a nose the size of a toucan, but you don’t see me going around pointing that out, do you?”

     I probably should not have laughed, but I did, and I have every time I recall her telling of that story.

     “You know, that boy probably spent the whole evening staring at his nose in the bathroom mirror when he got home, don’t you?” I told her.

     Maybe he’ll think twice next time before using words to knock someone down.  I hope so.

     I hope he learned a lesson from my Autumn, who, rather than tearing people down or exalting herself at the expense of others, sees beauty and gives it a name.