you better not cry | let her be little
You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm telling you why, Santa Claus came to town for pictures and I completely failed!
Let me set the scene for you....it was a beautiful sunny Saturday morning in our house. We finished up breakfast and got ready to take Alivia to see Santa! She was so cute in her outfit, actually let me fix her hair, & asked if she could take her latest piece of art to show Santa. I said if you must, I'm sure he would love to see a painting of Rudolph, snapped an adorable photo of our girl on our way out the door and away we went.
My super-talented-photographer sister Holly Felts, was hosting the cutest Santa Snaps photo op at Merriment and we were so excited to go support her as she was raising money for her mission trip to Africa. Alivia talked about how excited she was and couldn't wait to show him her painting, then we parked and she said "oh I'm so scared to show him!" I reassured her he was going to love it and in we went. Now let me remind you I have been taking Alivia to see Santa since she was 1 and every year I'm excited to share this experience with her because I always enjoyed going when I was a little girl...but this year? I absolutely LOST it.
Y'all - I COULD NOT STOP CRYING! This time it was just completely different than ever before and I even struggle putting it into words for you now, but I will try. This year Alivia was the epitome of childhood, innocence, & everything magical about believing in Santa! She gleamed with pride as he welcomed her and she showed him her piece of art. She was calm and bright and truly happy - she just sparkled more than usual! Santa was absolutely amazing too. His jolly chuckle, twinkle in his eyes, & warm-welcoming-spirit made me cry even more! As soon as we walked through the door, I almost felt like I was a child again myself and it made me yearn for time to please slow down even more than usual.
I wanted to freeze this moment and these feelings FOREVER. I literally do not want her to grow up anymore than she already has! I just want to keep her little and not send her out into the world (…and yes, I know this is not possible but a momma can dream!). I truly just want her to keep the sparkle she has within and always stay true to her. I want her to always be proud of her work, who she is, hold onto her beliefs, & stay kind! I guess I know the world will challenge all of that and she will face many difficulties, heartbreaks, & setbacks, and it already breaks my heart. But I guess the upside is that maybe one day when she is grown, she will have one of these magical moments to cherish for the rest of her life that will make it all worth it too!
Who knew Santa would deliver such an amazing gift weeks before Christmas? Thank you Santa! I will never forget this magical moment for the rest of my life.
