Indigo Valerie Jolliffe

How we anticipated your arrival. The last of the four siblings. The last of the ten cousins. How we waited with bated breath all through January - past your due date - past sister Adele’s birthday - past Uncle Zac’s birthday - past Grammie’s birthday - past cousin Ian’s birthday - in fact - right past January all together. You made us wait.

Finally on February 1st - you made your appearance. You were finished “cooking” and came into the world with a flourish.

Your name means - deep blue - which signifies a sense of stability and displays trust and loyalty and confidence. Right from the get go - we saw your confidence. You were walking at 11 months. You knew all the names of your family by your first birthday - even lisping out Grammie and Harvey! You do your best to keep up with your big brothers and your big sister. You’ve got grit and spunk. It seems nothing frightens you - you are up for any challenge.

God has given you a sharp mind and spirit and I pray you’ll always use these gifts to honour Him.

Valerie means strong and valiant. Here are some synonyms of your name!

Brave

Courageous

Heroic

Lionhearted

Bold

Fearless

Daring

Audacious

Unflinching

Unafraid

Our world needs the kind of girl that portrays these characteristics. Our world needs the kind of woman who wears these characteristics like a queen wears a crown.

Bravery - when the easy thing would be to run away. Courage when the easy thing would be to not follow through. Heroic when the easy thing would be to let others do it. Lionhearted when the easy thing would be to not growl. Bold when the easy thing would be to shrink. Fearless when the easy thing would be cowardly. Daring when the easy thing would be spinelessness. Audacious when the easy thing would be timidity. Unflinching when the easy thing would be unsteadiness. Unafraid when the easy thing would be fear.

I’m reminded of a queen who lived a very long time ago. Her name was Esther and she found herself in a crazy, unique situation. The king of Persia needed a new wife because the old one - Queen Vashti - refused to dance before him and all his drunken noblemen - so he got rid of her! Back to Esther. She was beautiful and a Jewess and she caught the eye of the King and he made her queen. Esther won the favour of everyone who saw her - not just for her beauty but for her bravery and courage. She uncovers a plot and goes to the king to bring his attention to it. He deals with it and destroys the bad guys.. Esther bravely lived in those uncertain times - precisely - to save her people - she became queen at precisely the right time.

Elizabeth Elliot once said -

“Just think - You’re not here by chance but by God’s choosing. HIs hand formed you and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else - You are one of a kind. You lack nothing that His grace can’t give you. He has allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfill HIs special purpose - for your generation.”

And so - my brave, born ready, Indy girl - I’ll be cheering you on as long as I live and be watching you do all those great things you were put on this earth to do.