Why She is the Princess of Hearts (part two)

Sometimes, Ellie cries at things that others don't.

She often notices an emotion in someone else that no one else does.

Occasionally, at night, she'll tell me she can't sleep because "my heart is telling me something."

And when she's happy, well, she's very very happy. Everyone knows it.

She also recognizes that she's different than her family members and wonders why she is the way she is. Well, I for one, understand. I've shared with you my lifelong struggle with my emotions. Unfortunately (and fortunately) I get it.

So what I always tell her is that she has a big heart. It's so big, I explain, that it has a bigger chance of getting touched, feeling pain and experiencing joy than someone else might. It's why I call her the Princess of Hearts.

The Princess of Hearts touches my heart every week (read here for a previous mention), and I wanted to share her thoughts.

While eating at the kitchen counter, she was looking at a piece of mail that we had received from Compassion International. The pictures showed several children of varying ages who were obviously living in dire poverty. She studied the picture intently, asking questions and then growing quiet. Finally, with a sad look in her eyes, she started pointing to the children one by one, saying, "mom, it's so sad because THIS one, he could be a veterinarian. This tall boy might have been a basketball player. And she, mom, this little girl, she might have been able to be a doctor. But, they don't have a chance to do it!" I wish you could have seen the look in her eyes.

On another Princess of Hearts note, you can definitely see the adoration and happiness on her face as she "met" Nana and Papa's new dog, Rocco!!! It was true love at first sight!