004. ASHLYN

Not exactly the best photograph of her, but this young woman is my niece, Ashlyn.  Let me tell you about this remarkable young lady...

The first thing I think when I see her now is, "Holy Smokes, she's tall!"  She's got a natural easy beauty and she's gracefully tall.  

I remember when she was younger Ashlyn was one of those sensitive kids who got their feelings hurt very easily.  If you looked at her the wrong way, she thought you didn't like her.  That was a bit if a struggle for me.  I've always been paranoid about what my sisters and brothers would think about me with their kids.  And having a child that cried "Wolf" all the time made me uncomfortable.  

But she grew out of that phase and matured quite a lot.  We share some of the same taste when it comes to music.  I really like that about her.  I also like how eager she is to assume responsibility.  This is a young woman who wants to be trusted and is worthy of it.  She has excellent character and is quite capable of handling things.  I think we still like to think of her as our little girl, but she's already so much more.

I like the fact that I can call her up now and again and just hang with her.  She's fun to talk to, great to drive around with and I enjoy seeing movies with her.  I need to find more opportunities to be around her.  She's certainly worth it.

My biggest concern for her is her beauty.  Pretty girls aren't always treated nicely by other girls.  Especially ones who aren't as pretty as she is.  I think she struggles with this concept.  She wants to be liked and she wants to be friends with everyone.  But, and I mean this almost exclusively to females, other girls can be vicious for no other reason than you look better than them.

Still, I think she's the kinda kid who won't dwell on that kind of thing too much.  I think she'll find her own stride and move over the petty problems.

She's a true friend to me and that's what I consider important.  In her life, I want to be someone she can talk to...  Someone she can count on.  I want her to know I'll be there for her if she needs anything.  I'm here.  I hope she feels that.  I feel a great deal of attachment to her.

Ashlyn is a reason for being.