Layla Kai

Layla Kai... what can I say about my daughter... Her first name means "dark beauty" in arabic and her middle name means "ocean" in hawaiian. The more she grows the more I am made aware that her name could not be more suitable. Her range of emotions is, at times, almost overwhelming. She can be floating on the tops of clouds one minute, and the next swimming in a sea of sadness... Like the ocean, she is nearly as unpredictable, an ocean that swells with ferocity, but can be the tranquility to soothe the most troubled of souls. Her heart is as enormous as the big blue... and she willingly enfolds others with her unending kindness and love. So many moments, I watch her in silence... not wanting to bring attention to her "audience" that she so frequently feels the need to entertain, but just wanting to watch and see who she is... it leaves me speechless. I am filled with awe, trying to digest the lady that she is growing into. She fills me with unspeakable pride. It's entirely unimaginable how fast time has whipped by since the day she was born, and day by day she catches me off guard using words that I would never have believed were in her vocabulary, an eight year old turning quickly into a 20 year old. Her brother is one lucky little guy, cause she is such a little mother hen... she adores him and he her. They are quite the pair. Eyes truly are the windows to the soul... Layla's eyes are like dark chocolate flecked with gold and they glow continuously with curiosity and humor... her hair is the color of caramel, streaked with golden wheat. She is beautiful. Her smile radiates like sunshine breaking through summer stormclouds, and her laugh is like a cool brooke, dancing and rippling. She resembles me much... maybe not so much physically, but deep inside... I see so much of myself in her which is probably why we have our fair share of squabbles, but I love her more than she will ever know... She is my heart, my joy, my sweet Layla Kai.