Mandy, a whirl wind of creative energy. She is cutting and pasting, sewing a dress for an American Doll, she's composing a song or writing a story, she's practicing the guitar or trying a song on the piano, she's drawing a picture or shaping a shot for an animated short. This is a creative force for sure. She takes after her mother's creative skills, appropriate since she has her mother's looks, pretty indeed. From birth she was a mamma's girl. If daddy tried to play, she would look for mom, dad just wasn't interesting enough. Mom would do all the things that this little girl liked. No wonder she's got the creative gift, a gift instilled in her and her mom.
But she doesn't only have mom in her. On the computer she has Dad's skills. She'll poke around with a new software and before you know it has created something fun and wonderful. There's that word again, create! With her Mom's creative skills and her Dad's computer skills there's no stopping this one from her creative interest.
A little older and maybe, just maybe, dad's a little more interesting. She definitely loves to hug and touch. One of dad's first fond memories, when mom wasn't around and only dad could do, is of a little hand reaching out and holding on to his hand. Little hands grasping dad's one finger. She finds peace in being close to those she loves and definitely loves a tickle. Not the laughing kind but the gentle and loving kind. Even today she has a need to hold and hug and nothing delights dad more than his little girl running up to give her dad a hug or sitting close to him on the couch.
Her empathy for others is astounding. She senses when others are sad or happy and cares how they feel. If ever she is mad it is at herself when she can't do something. Frustration at not being able to create. But the best part is she'll come back to try, try again. Not one to give up, if something seems too hard to accomplish she'll walk away and then come back to figure it out later. She's got the biggest of hearts and the kindest of minds.
She and Taryn, her older sister, will giggle and play in their room. For hours they'll play til mom or dad say, "Go to sleep". She'll gather her little brothers and come up with a game. If baby brother Liam needs time she'll gladly give it to him. With her heart and mind she binds the family together, uniting siblings with a family harmony.
And on top of that, I think she actually likes her dad...so why not write him a song? Maybe it's because dad bought her a Mac computer one day and with Garage Band she decided to play. A father's day song, a gift dad received one day with three part harmony on three different tracks:
Today's a very special day
Father's day, father's day
We hope you have a great day
Father's day, father's day
Today is your special day
Father's day...
anything you want you can have
Very, very special day
Very, very special day
and with that song she makes it a very special day indeed.
