This Post Made Me Cry

Ok, I know, horrible title, but this post really did make me cry.   Maybe I'm just imagining Carissa crossing the finish line one day and part of my heart going with her, or maybe the part about failures as a parent making us better parents, but it tugged on my heart strings.  I had a thought the other day, yes, just one, that Carissa is this potentially beautiful flower.  God has already given her the genes and DNA and all the potential she will ever need to become her own beautiful creation.  I'm just the gardener who stakes her up when she's over burdened, waters her when she's wilty, covers her with shade netting when she's too hot.  I just need to love her, protect her and support her until she reaches that full bloom, and even after.  All of her beautiful personality is already there, waiting to come out, I'm not going to screw that up.