My sweet little beautiful Emmabelle. I was so excited when I found out I was having a little girl. I was already a Mother to a 4 yr old son so the thought of having one of each was exactly what my husband and I wanted. I was expecting a dark Italian brunette with a fierce attitude and tough little cookie just like her Momma. What I got was more than I ever knew was possible. Her honey blonde curls and golden skin still makes me look twice at this child that I created this perfect little piece of heaven. She looked just like her Daddy. They both share these dark brown eyes that makes you just want to love and snuggle with all day. Emma Isabelle is her name but I nick named her, Emmabelle. My husband fell in love. They went everywhere together. Unlike my son, Nathan, she was a Daddy's girl and the world all of a sudden stopped and started revolving around her. One thing I noticed at a early age is she would get so nervous about things and worry herself silly over upcoming activities she was involved in. Emmabelle is 10 yrs old at this moment and a daughter any Mother would be proud to have. I do not know if I will ever truly understand why she worries, stresses and doubts herself given how truly special and talented she actually is. If only she could see herself through my eyes. She would know how amazing and perfect she is no matter what situation she is in. Emmabelle worried about her first day of Kindergarden at her brother's school for 6mths. She needed to know the bus route, what desk she would sit in, would bullies pick on her, would she be able to bring her own lunch in case she did not like what they served. Who was in her class, how long would she be there, did she have to take a nap and who would hold her blanket during class so it didn't get dirty. All kinds of things that most 5 yr olds couldn't even fathom bc they are thinking about recess and finally getting to ride a school bus. Emmabelle could not sleep the few nights before her very first day of school. She had her uniform, school supplies, shoes, hair bow and book sack all laid out and packed days before. She is a competitive gymnast at LSU. She has been in gymnastics for 7 yrs. She has always been so graceful that people stop and watch those lines and technique. Confidence in herself to not fall and fail has always hindered her from living out her true potential. It's like she held her own self back. The day she won her very first gold medal was a moment I will never forget. She won gold on the floor exercise and became a true force to be reckoned with on certain events. No one could beat her on Floor & was always in the top 3-5 on beam. She started winning some events on bars as well. Vault is her weakest event. She isn't one of those power gymnasts. She probably should of been a ballerina given her body type and grace.
I started to worry about her anxiety and decided to figure out a way to encourage her to believe in herself. Not to doubt or cry bc she is afraid of failure. Being raised in church my entire life and Marrying the handsome Preachers son of my church...a scripture always stuck out to me and I always used it when the storm arises and you have to find that inner strength to walk through the fire and ce
Out on top. So I had a idea. Since my Emmabelle knows the word and believes in the Holy Bible...and most importantly has Jesus in her heart...I could use that to help control her fear and anxiety. I went to the mall and found this purple little purse that was just perfect for her size. I thought, it's LSU purple, and little did I know this purple satin purse would change her life. Anytime Emmabelle had a competition, I would skip a little white sheet of paper with my favorite scripture written on it. It read "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"...Phillipines 4:13
She pulls it out whenever she gets afraid or nervous and it gives her back the confidence she needs bc she knows God would never fail her. I have taught her that it is okay to fail but it's not okay to never try because you are afraid to fail. There are so many stories over the years that I am going to share and I hope one day a little girl suffering with the same fears and worries can pull out a piece of paper from her purple purse and read that scripture and it brings belief and confidence into her heart. Emmabelle Can do anything she sets her heart to do because if she tries, believes, trusts and never gives up...The sky is the limit.
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