Five-year-old Zoe Ann Stanfill

 This beautiful creature is my five-year-old daughter.  My long, honey-skinned, strong minded joyful runner.  Her sunny, affectionate personality hasn't changed at all since she was this happy little flower:

She still emerges from her room every morning with a leap and a grin, a hug for her mom, a little "newborn" baby of some variety cradled tenderly in her arms.  This girl overflows with love and care for other people.  She revels in the strength and capability of her strong, lithe body.  She runs and jumps and rides and swims and embraces every bit of her self.  She makes and keeps friends as easily as breathing. Whenever she runs, she laughs and squeals with joy. She reads little books with gusto, sleeps deeply, strewn across her bed, and sings her heart out all day long.  She overflows with passionate emotion for everything in her life, and in the best way.

Probably my favorite part of Zoe, though, is that she self-identifies as a person who serves others.  She LOVES to help.  Everyone. Any time. Eagerly, with total enjoyment of the act. Just this afternoon she crept up to me on the bed, eyes alight, grin pasted on cheek to cheek.  "Guess what, Mom!"  What Zoe?  "Look behind those towels, and you will see I did a SERVE!"  Sure enough, she had sorted out my laundry and folded my washcloths while I wasn't looking.  

She has an eye for service opportunities.  She gets her brother toys, she carries dishes over to the table, she hugs people who are sad, she befriends children who are lonely, she rubs tired feet and backs, she helps cook dinner, she cleans up other people's messes and unlatches little brother from his car seat.  If you ever deprive her of an anticipated act of service, watch out, because you will have a storm of tears on your hands. She tells me every day the ten thousand ways she has already planned to serve mom and her new brother after the baby is born. This girl frankly loves to serve. When you ask her, she will tell you outright "I am like Jesus because I do serves!"

I've never met a woman full of so much love as my little Zoe Ann.  There are no words for the feelings of joy and pride and honor I have to be her mother.  She is a truly remarkable person.

 Happy birthday, special girl.