"Please you give me my blessing?"

I love to bless my children. With all sincerity of my heart, I bless them. At night time, I will often either pray with them, or give them a blessing. My daughter has come to know the blessing by heart. I smile as I ponder how my repetition has become neither redundant nor dull.

When A began going to school, I began the discipline of either praying for her in the morning or giving her a blessing which is understood and received as a prayer from the bottom of my heart. This blessing is now always given in the foyer of her school as we are giving our hugs and kisses goodbye. Some time in the past six months, A has started feeling embarrassed by me - whether it's my singing in the grocery store (you can laugh now, mom!) or my prayer for her in her school foyer. So one day, feeling tired or hurt or something of the like of how she had begun shushing me when I pray or bless her before school, I chose not to say anything, simply hugs and kisses goodbye. Initially relieved I'd not spoken, A began her treck down the hallway towards her class. She'd not even gotten around the first corner when she came back and whispered something to me. It sounded more like mumbling, but with her hand motions, I realized she was calling me to come close to her ear and whisper my blessing to her her. I briefly did and her smile thanked me as she felt her release to go to class.

This morning, having to tend to Z and since Daddy was home, he agreed to drive A to school. All dressed and ready to go, my growing little A once again asked me something. "You want me to give you your present?" I repeated back to her with a question, not sure of what she was talking about. "No, my blessing!" "Please you give me my blessing, mommy?"

And so I blessed her. I wrapped my arms around her, leaned close to her ear, and blessed her.

"The Lord bless you and keep you and cause His face to shine upon you."

Our children are such a blessing to us. As Daddy looked back at me before leaving, I gave him two thumbs up with a huge goofy grin. I love you, Lord, thank You for blessing us!