It's the weekend, and apart from it being a time of rest and relaxation (unless you are digging out on the East Coast), it's also the time to participate in Favorite Thing Saturday at Mockingbird Hill Cottage!  The last few weeks I've been sharing some stories from my Memories of Yesterday collection, which features charming figurines based on the artwork of Mabel Lucie Attwell.  The very first figure I received was a birthday gift from my Bible study group in South Dakota.  The little girl reminded them of my daughter, who was one at the time.  I love this little figurine--it brings back such precious memories.

Figurine "Strikes Me I'm Your Match", 1992

I think you can see the resemblance!  My daughter's 1st birthday, 1992

I chose this poem not only in honor of my beautiful daughter, but also as a tribute today to Claudia (of Mockingbird Hill Cottage)--her dad has been hospitalized this week and she's dealing with Storm Nemo by herself.  Her dad had a close relationship with Edgar Guest.  Here's thinking of you, Claudia!

To A Little Girl

by Edgar A. Guest

Oh, little girl with eyes of brown
And smiles that fairly light the town,
I wonder if you really know
Just why it is we love you so,
And why--with all the little girls
With shining eyes and tangled curls
That throng and dance this big world through--
Our hearts have room for only you.

Since other little girls are gay
And laugh and sing and romp in play,
And all are beautiful to see,
Why should you mean so much to me?
And why should Mother, day and night,
Make you her source of all delight,
And always find in your caress
Her greatest sum of happiness?

Oh, there's a reason good for this,
You laughing little bright-eyed miss!
In all this town, with all its girls
With shining eyes and sun-kissed curls,
If we should search it through and through
We'd find not one so fair as you;
And none, however fair of face,
Within our hearts could take your place.

For, one glad day not long ago,
God sent you down to us below,
And said that you were ours to keep,
To guard awake and watch asleep;
And ever since the day you came
No other child has seemed the same;
No other smiles are quite so fair
As those which happily you wear.

We seem to live from day to day
To hear the things you have to say;
And just because God gave us you,
We prize the little things you do.
Though God has filled this world with flowers,
We like you best because you're ours--
In you our greatest joys we know,
And that is why we love you so.

May God bless all our children.  Illustration by Kate Greenaway from the book “The April Baby’s Book of Tunes” (1900)

Please join me over at Mockingbird Hill Cottage and have a wonderful weekend!
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