Grace and Beauty: Kiera E.

She has blond hair, and a wide, friendly smile.  The colors and lines of her figure are beautiful, and her clothing is always neat and stylish.  Every summer, she packs her husband, five children, and three dogs into cars and airplanes, and transports them hundreds of miles up the east coast.  Her children are also beautiful and stylish.  Over the years, friends and acquaintances have not hesitated to express their admiration for Kiera and her five perfect children.  

I, too, admire the lovely smiles of Kiera and her family.  I am also impressed by the ease with which she tackles the day to day management of such a large life. My own family is far smaller, with fewer responsibilities beyond caring for our children.  While most days we manage to find happiness and nourishment, we do so without the aplum of Kiera E.  We make it to the beach, but our feet are bare and our clothes are wrinkled.  We forget to pack lunch and so we eat strawberries and drink milk for lunch.  Kiera and her family give me hope that one day, my little men and I might also be organized.  

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We sit, side by side, in beach chairs.  Her oldest daughter cradles Jaime, while Kiera holds Cameron.  By the water, Tristan holds the hand of another of Kiera's daughters, who is gently guiding him toward the shallows; keeping him safe and content.  Two more of her children, a girl and a boy, bound up, and announce that they're going to the snack bar.  The boy, who is only seven, asks what he can get us.  His sister suggests an ice cream for Tristan, if that's ok with me. It is. While the children run to fetch us iced teas and ice creams, I talk to Kiera, and seek her comfort and guidance on some of life's challenges.  With an open heart, she willingly shares her thoughts and experiences.

This scene occurs several times a week lately, and it is during these moments that Kiera E. truly inspires.  She is endlessly committed to spiritual growth and kindness; traits which she encourages in her children.  My life is very full, and most of the time, when I give, it is to my children.  Kiera's life is far fuller, and yet she and her children find the opportunity and strength to give to everyone they meet.  It is my hope that her grace and beauty will rub off onto me and my little men, and that we, too, may find the strength and courage to live our lives in service to others.