I'll be your mirror

Recently Astrid has started to study my face intently. As I'm holding her she will quietly look at my face as if she's studying my facial features.Of course I'm delighted when she does this and return her gaze with equal fascination.

When I look at Astrid's face I stare into her blue eyes to see any signs that they are changing color (becoming lighter blue like her father's, green like Uwe's sister, or hazel like my father's). I see intelligence and curiosity in her eyes. I see the tiny hairs that form her eyelashes and eyebrows. I see her perfectly shaped little button nose. I see her chubby pink cheeks. I see her little baby mouth with the bow tie shaped upper lip. I see her beautiful porcelain skin. I see my daughter growing into a beautiful little girl.

I wonder what she sees when she looks at my face. Does she see the freckles I inherited from my mother? Does she see the green and yellow flecks in my eyes that I inherited from my father? Does she see my Eurasian nose that is a combination of my mother's small Asian nose and my father's large European nose? Does she look past all of my flaws and think I am beautiful, just as I did with my mother? Does she see my love for her when she stares into my eyes?

I hope that we will always see each other. I will always strive to be a beaming, warm light for Astrid to know which way is home. I will always strive to keep an open dialogue between us even if there are many miles separating us. I will always strive to see Astrid for who she is.