My youngest daughter, who is about to celebrate her 20th birthday, is fiercely, proudly independent. I guess that’s to be expected when you grow up in the shadow of three headstrong siblings.

So it comes as no surprise that one of my favorite moments this summer came as we were snorkeling in the warm waters off the coast of Florida.

We were just swimming around, leisurely enjoying the beauty of the reef when I came upon a decently sized ray appearing and disappearing as it skimmed through clouds of churning sand.

My daughter enjoys the colorful fish and the turtles, but anything with sharp teeth or a barb- forget it!  As I motioned to her and pointed down at the mysterious, black creature she swam in real close and gripped my hand.

And that’s how we floated along for a while…hand in hand.

I’ve thought about that precious moment many times since then and it always brings a smile to my face.  I don’t think my daughter has reached out in exactly that way and held on so tight since she was in grade school..

And let me tell you,  it felt good. 💜