My youngest child has freckles...sprinkled across the bridge of her nose like so much cinnamon on toast. They are adorable, and they make me happy just to look at them! She's a quiet one, this blue-eyed pixie. She often goes somewhat unnoticed by others. She tends to hover around me almost virtually like my shadow. When people do notice her, it's common for them to say how much they like her freckles--a comment that always elicits a quiet smile and down-cast eyes. I think she captures hearts with those freckles and that sweet smile.
I don't know what it is about freckles that is so appealing. Many people who have them spend a lot of time hoping they will go away--even trying to be rid of them. Anyone else remember the classic, Frecklejuice? (It doesn't work, by the way...I had freckles once, too!). Wikipedia reveals that people with freckles have a lower amount of photoprotective melanin in their system, making them more vulnerable to sun exposure.
Hmmm...I feel an analogy coming on! Probably due to the health challenges that this freckled princess has weathered, I think I've always felt her vulnerability more keenly. No one in our family has needed to be quite as brave as she in what she has had to face in her short life. And the evidences of her vulnerability are still visible in many ways...a bit like freckles--sprinkled across her life. But, I also see how she has an overcoming spirit. I admire her strength, in fact.
One day, it's likely the freckles across her nose will fade away, like mine did. And every day, I see her strength growing and her vulnerability fading. But for now, I will enjoy watching the evidence of her overcoming...and those nose freckles, too. Yep, I know she captures hearts with that sweet, freckled smile. She sure has captured mine!
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