This is a picture of me at one year old, cropped out from a bigger family photo. I looked at it, my pose and my eyes looking like I was gazing into the future, and it really made me stop and think.
Though it’s a baby version of me and I didn’t have dreams yet but I couldn’t help but wonder… What was she looking at? What did she see for her future? Was she making her wishes without even knowing the words to describe it yet?
I know that dreams don’t just appear when we grow up. They begin quietly, innocently, from a very young age, and there’s something pure about children, almost like they can sense and see things they can’t yet explain.
Looking at this picture now, I find myself with so many interpretations, and each one feels meaningful in its own way.
This little girl had no idea what life would bring. She didn’t know about the challenges, the disappointments, or the moments that would test her strength.
But I know this little girl would be happy, proud to see the woman I’ve become. A woman who didn’t quit. A woman who kept believing. A woman who is still rising.
Today, I look at that picture with a full heart. Because in my own way, step by step, I am becoming the person this little girl might have dreamed of. Not perfectly, not all at once, but genuinely, courageously, and with faith.
And that makes me proud.
To every young person out there dreaming about the future you hope to have, hold on to it. Protect it. Believe in it, even when life gets tough. The road may not be smooth, but your dreams are valid, and your future is worth fighting for. One day, you’ll look back and be grateful you didn’t give up.
I thank God for the gift of beginnings and the journey of becoming. I thank Him for every young dream planted in our hearts and for the strength to keep going even when life feels heavy. Please guide us as we grow, help us to stay true to who we are, and give us the courage to never give up on the dreams You’ve placed within us.
May our younger selves always be proud of the people we are becoming, and may our future reflect Your grace and purpose in our lives. Amen.
