July 13, 1989.

My baby is turning 34 years old tomorrow. I remember finding out I was pregnant and having an ultrasound. Her little heart pumps away and says, “I’m alive in here!” I don’t know where the years went. Truly. I used to get annoyed at old people saying, “Don’t blink!” Or “You’ll miss these years.” Victoria and I traveled the roads of Gloucester County, VA, Charlotte, NC, and Hopkinsville, KY, which included Nashville, TN, until we settled in Chester, VA. She could handle long car rides, sitting in restaurants, and touring the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, NC, at two years old. We broke her stroller on the way into the estate, and we wondered if we were going to have to pack it up and leave. Nope! She toured the estate without a single fret or knocking over the crystal vase in the corner of the house. One of our favorite times as a young family was going to Virginia Beach in the winter to save money and swim in the pool, walk the beach, and play in the arcade. I had our time at Carowinds Amusement Park down to a financial science. She was free at two years old. So, I would spend the day with snacks in her bag and drink courtesy cups of water, and her treat was an ice cream cone and one game. The cost? 5.00 dollars. There was only one time that we went over budget when her ice cream melted and fell off her cone.

I loved her passion for the Word and her sharing it with her friends. She told people about God’s love and influenced others to know they are worthy of love and belonging. Her talents kept us busy as she sang, danced, played soccer, and had leading roles in plays at her high school. Seeing her play Annie in the Broadway play “Annie” was a memory we treasure.

I wish the years would slow down a bit. It seems she went from bouncing around as a toddler to being a mom and married so quickly that I stop and ponder the woman she has become. This woman who loves so big her heart can break. She will cry and reach out to others with compassion. She is fierce about developing her children’s talents, and she runs the roads to make sure they have experiences to mold them into adults who are expressing the gifts God gave them. She is crafty, brilliant, and shows up. She takes charge with caring confidence.

I miss my little girl. I cry as I write this because most days, we live separate lives (as we should). God’s word says, “A woman shall leave her home…..” She’s been gone for years, but the leaving still hurts a little. It’s mixed with the knowing that all things move forward as they should, and she has done so well in life. She married her high school sweetheart, and they are making a home that is filled with God’s love and joy. Perfect? No! I love her ability to speak her truth, be vulnerable, forgive, learn, and move on. Like all moms, she has her hard days, but this warrior is ready for battle.

My Victoria Louise, Victorious Warrior, you’ve surpassed your name and added so many other qualities to your character. You are the Proverbs 31 woman. You are a Woman of Worth.

Remember, I love you always…