In My Daughter’s Eyes

I didn’t expect to cry tonight and yet there I was, an absolute mess. When I arrived from work, I realized I had forgotten my laptop. No, I didn’t cry about that. I did worry for a moment that it had been stolen out of my bag while at the store, so I decided to go back to the office to find it. Natalie joined me for some company.

As I drove, I moved the rear view mirror so I could see her face. She was staring out of the window as we passed trees and buildings. Occasionally, she will say something to the effect of “Oh look, it’s a jungle!” or “Oh look! A castle!” Normally, the castle is a church. And being the buckle of the Bible belt, Cleveland has churches in abundance. Regardless of what she sees, it’s entertaining and inspiring to me to imagine the world through her eyes.

As we headed home, a song came on the radio I’d never heard before. Previous songs talking about shining “bright like a diamond” didn’t really click, but this one hit me between the eyes. It was Martina McBride singing “In My Daughter’s Eyes.” As the song played, the lyrics hit home and that beautiful little face stared and smiled at me through the whole thing. I was a mess. Here are the lyrics; wouldn’t you have been a mess, too? (You can also listen to the song here).

In my daughter’s eyes,
I am a hero,
I am strong and wise,
And I know no fear,
But the truth is plain to see,
She was sent to rescue me,
I see who I want to be,
In my daughter’s eyes
In my daughter’s eyes,
Everyone is equal,
Darkness turns to light,
And the world is at peace,
This miracle God gave to me,
Gives me strength when I am weak,
I find reason to believe,
In my daughter’s eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger,
How it puts a smile in my heart,
Everything becomes a little clearer,
I realize what life is all about,
It’s hanging on when your heart is had enough,
It’s giving more when you feel like giving up,
I’ve seen the light,
It’s in my daughter’s eyes
In my daughter’s eyes,
I can see the future,
A reflection of who I am and what will be,
And though she’ll grow and someday leave,
Maybe raise a family,
When i’m gone I hope you see,
How happy she made me,
For I’ll be there,
In my daughter’s eyes