My 6-Year Old Daughter

Alyssa, she’s a sweetheart. Find a lonely girl and she’ll be first to be her friend. She feels sad when she sees others making poor choices. She always wants to know when we can do more service. And she's smart. One time when she was barely 3 we called her “Little Miss Smarty Pants” and she said, “No! I’m not Smartly Pants, I’m Smarty Skirt,” because, she was, after all, wearing a skirt!

At 4 years old, she could not learn how to read fast enough and it frustrated her so deeply she’d scream. Now she’s the top reader in her first grade class. She brings home extra books every night and can’t wait to read those to us. She sneaks books into bed and reads until the last sliver of light fades from her room.

However, one of her favorite ways to spend time with me is getting ready for church Sunday mornings. She picks out her prettiest dress and I polish her dainty fingernails. She carefully places those into her very own pink nail dryer. She tells me just how her hair should be and really likes it braided. For a finishing touch we add sparkly stickers to her ears. She feels like a princess as she admires her reflection with a satisfied smile.