When my oldest was turning 9, I took her on a hike. While walk with her, I asked her to give me 9 pieces of advice, 9 things she had learned up to this point in her life. Here is what she came up with, in the order she came up with it.

1) Take your Bible to church. 🙂
2) Think about what you say before you speak so you don’t hurt someone’s feelings.
3) Pray.
4) Work on your talent. You are good at something. (She is an artist and works on this talent daily.)
5) Be a good friend.
6) If you see someone who is sad and alone, spend time with them. (I am seeing a friend theme here.)
7) Do the best you can. Try to get good grades.
8) Be kind with family and friends. I asked her, “What about strangers?” In a funny low voice, she joked, “Keep away from strangers.” That’s my girl.
9) “Nothing is wrong in art.” It doesn’t have to be perfect. If you like it, it’s art. (It took her awhile to come up with this one. I asked her for advice for a lil girl. No answer. A little boy. No answer. A mommy, a daddy…an artist. She quickly responded to advice for an artist, thinking about Creative Galaxy, she gave her answer.)

Pretty wise for her age. Excited to see where this girl goes in life.