steps.

lily still doesn't "walk".
(she had a difficult delivery and they think this has affected her speech and gross motor skills-- her fine motor skills and comprehension are advanced... she's been in physical and speech therapy for 6 months.)
she's almost 19 months old, and just starting to travel distances on two feet-- for the past few weeks she's been "taking her first steps".

 my other kids were not like this.
three of them took their first steps on their first birthday... and then they just walked.
i don't remember many of the shaky times...
lily tries so hard... it's painful for me to watch.
her balance isn't great and her concentration is intense.
she's intense.
i understand why it was scary for her to try to walk.
and, i really admire her determination as she gets up again and again and tries to follow the big kids.
she falls a lot.

most of the time she just barely misses banging her face into the floor (she falls head down bum in the air).

seriously, it's hard for me not to scoop her up and carry her to her destination.
but, i know this is something she needs to learn.
i don't know if she knows how much i love her and how it hurts me too when she falls.
she's tough.
she hardly ever cries and she always tries again.
everyone involved is fairly certain that she won't have any long-term delays...
it's just these beginning skills that are taking a bit longer.
but for now, this is her struggle.
and my struggle.

 watching lily, i see so many of my friends and family members who continue to press forward, even when it's shaky.
i feel like i often have many around me who are struggling.
perhaps EVERYONE i know struggles.
perhaps... EVERYONE struggles.

we are all here in earth-school and we are all learning.  even though we may have days, weeks, even months of relative ease, these times never last long and we will once again be stumbling through life with our bum in the air.
i admire the strenuous strivers.
my lily... she's one of them.
and, i know that we all have a Father in Heaven who wants to pick us up and carry us to our destination.
And, sometimes He does and sometimes He lets us struggle.
because, He knows we need to learn.
and so, feel free to be my friend even if your steps are shaky at times... and please excuse my shaky steps...
i'm still learning too.

ps.  want to waste a few minutes and look at a funny blog... try this one-- it's a list of 1000 awesome things.  (like going potty after holding it for a long time and finding stuff in your winter coat pockets...) it's funny! 
--they have got to put in getting a baby boogie with that nose syringe, that is one of the most fulfilling things ever!