Through Her Eyes

Avery, my oldest will be turning three in January, although you'd never know it based on her stature. She's a petite little thing and is just now wearing 24 month/2T sizes, although I'm willing her into wearing 3T clothing. She is the funniest little kid, and always does such humorous things! Although funny, she has a surprisingly sweet side as well, which comes out of nowhere and shocks me at at times.
Being a "single mom" has truly been an adjustment. Just trying to go for walks with the girls is a challenge, and usually takes about 30 minutes just to get out of the house. The other day, I was horribly unkept and in desperate need of a shower, but decided to put on a hat and head out for a walk anyway (motivation is rare lately). Avery, looking up at me, smiled sweetly and said, "You look pretty mommy!" This was the first time she had said this to me, and I instantly melted. I knelt down and hugged her tightly, trying not to tear up at her kind words.
It's amazing that no matter how bad we think we look, or how bad we feel about ourselves, our children see the best in us and think we're "pretty" or tell us they love us. They don't notice whether we have our makeup on, if our clothing is ironed, or if we even coordinate our shoes with our handbags. They love us for who we are and how we love them, and tell us how beautiful we are when we ourselves can rarely see it. They see us purely, it would seem, and without judgement. I only wish I had the ability to see through her eyes, to view the world as beautiful and safe, to not notice the danger and sadness out there. Her sweetness that day really touched me and made me feel good about myself, even though I know my appearance was far from pretty. The funny thing is, it doesn't really matter what I think:  it's what she thinks that really matters. Her view might be rosy, but I'll take it.