As the Irish poet W.B. Yeats so insightfully wrote, “I sigh as I kiss you, for I must own, how much I will miss you, when, dear, you have grown.”

When I look at my stunning 8-year -old, there is a prismatic ache in my heart: love that threatens to burst its seams, awe at who you are, sadness that you aren’t remaining small, anticipation for who you are becoming, gratitude that God placed you in our family. All of these emotions are so deep and strong that words simply cannot adequately describe them. Perhaps that is why Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky expressed that “only the heart knows what is precious.”

Her seventh year was a significant one for in it she committed her life to Jesus. She noted that once she had given her life to Him she had a growing desire to serve others and, incredibly, no one in our family serves others more joyously than she. Her heart is keenly tuned to any error she might make in her day and quickly corrects herself.

Home is her happy place. Her choices for how to spend her special day reflect that: food delivered in, baking cookies, sewing together, watching a movie. Just the other day we had lit candles, turned on music and were cooking together. She declared, “I like this! Candles, music and cooking. I like making our home a cozy place.”

But our newest eight-year-old is not without spunk! She is a fierce competitor in every game, always ready to play chase or dive into a tickle fight or jump into a pool. She is diligent in all of her school studies and shows initiative in cultivating her life by journaling, planning her week, making gifts by hand for others, and writing to her penpals. She doesn’t shy away from big challenges such as bathing and dressing her toddler siblings or making a meal by herself or walking the dog. In fact, she thrives on them.

I often think how sorry I am for all the other families who don’t have a Quinley but not sorry enough to give them ours. I’m eternally grateful that she was placed into our family. She is a light to all who know her, and I know the future is already brighter with her in it. This evening she and I walked hand in hand after taking her birthday pictures. I put that memory in the treasure chest of my heart knowing all too well that while birthdays only come once a year, those years come faster every trip around the sun.