Always Encourage the Children in Your Life!

Sunday Inspiration

The last few months I've been spending a lot of one-on-one time with my niece, helping her on a journey towards getting to know God.  We've made this tradition of going to mass and then off to eat.  We have the craziest conversations at times, and I find myself fascinated with her.  Some of the things that come out of her mouth make me pause and realize she's not a little girl anymore.  She's a young lady.  Today I was telling her about the fashion blogs I've been reading and felt inspired to dress up for church today.  I asked her if she could take some pictures of my outfit to post on the blog.  She let me know that she IS a professional photographer and how she's been taking pictures all her life.  She's twelve years young.  Who am I to say she isn't a professional photographer.  So we teamed up to show you what I pulled out of my closet. 

Jacket from the Loft

Shirt - Loft; Cardigan - Banana Republic

Nine West

Skirt from Old Navy

Ariana, my niece also wanted me to share today, that she passed her Catechism Exam and she'll be receiving all three Sacraments on Holy Saturday; Baptism, Communion and Confirmation.  She gave me a slight scare on Wednesday when the teacher told me she didn't know the Ten Commandments.  Ariana looked at me and she said, "Titi, you know when you know something so well, but you have so many other things that you're supposed to know at the same time but when you're supposed to say what you know you draw a blank...well that's what happened."  Lord knows how familiar I am with that!  Anyways, She convinced the teacher to give her five minutes to regroup and try reciting them one more time.  (Perhaps a lawyer in the making?) What she did next, not only shocked me but the teacher and all the nuns that happened to be in the vicinity.  I could explain in words what she did but she felt it best for me to show you.  Without further ado.

Yes, she did!  I love her creativity and her fearlessness.  She is something awesome.  I let her know that she can do anything she sets her mind to do, even though it has come back to bite me several times already.  This goes for all my nieces and nephews.  Children remember everything we say to them, and everything we do not.  May we always encourage the young people in our life to strive and be their best selves.
Until then,