"Daddy loves you, Mommy"

Yesterday, "S", who is four, came to me and this was our conversation:

"S" - Daddy loves you, Mommy.
Me - You are correct...he does love me. How do you know?
"S" - Because he smiles at you.
Me - Hmmm...you are right...he does smile at me.
"S" - uh-huh and you are a princess.
(Now I am wondering where in the world she found my tiara I had been searching for, but I digress.)
Me - "S", where are you getting this stuff?
She took me by the hand and led me to a picture of our wedding day that Ashlee has in her room. She was exactly right. He loves me, he was smiling, and I looked like a princess.

As sweet as this little conversation was, let me enlighten you on how significant it also was. I have mentioned "J" with his RAD, but "S" came to us with her own set of issues. When she came to us at 2 1/2 years, she had absolutely no boundaries. Because I did not birth her, I am not being prejudice here, but this child is a beautiful child. She has dark eyes, dark hair, dimples, just beautiful. People are attracted to beauty and she was used to attracting people. So imagine my surprise at Walmart when I turn around and she is sitting in some strange man's lap, rubbing her hands on his face! Yeah...this child had been "charming" her way through her short little life, manipulating people with her sweet little face, (a survival mechanism no doubt) most likely behavior learned from her bio mom. (Although, "S" is MUCH cuter than bio mom!) The behavior was a huge concern of mine because while it may seem innocent enough at age 2, it will look a LOT different when she is 12!

All of that to say that "S" has had a very misguided perception of "love". I have prayed and worried about this child...that she would know real love and real relationships without manipulation. I believe God is in the process of answering that prayer. She knew that her Daddy loves her Mommy just because he was smiling at her. WOW!