"Mama," Erin calls me out from the family table.

"Yes, Erin," I reply back to her, still keeping my eye on the dinner I'm cooking.

"How come I'm so different?"

I turn around with an I'm sure shocked expression on my face. Why in the world would she consider herself different? I just keep looking at her, puzzled out of my mind as she keeps looking at me, all the while munching on a handful of nuts that she must've gotten from Ike's store.

"Why would you be wondering that?"

"Because I am."

"Why, you are no more different than the rest of us," I say, tugging a lock of her red hair away from her face. "What's the matter? Somebody been picking on you at school?"

"No. Nobody's been bugging me at school, lately," she replies in such a non-chalant manner that I have no choice but to believe her.

"Someone in the family? Your brothers or sisters?"

"Well, not exactly..."

"Erin," I say, getting a little concerened and agitated at the same time. "Please just tell me why your feeling the way you do."

"I just look at my sister's sometimes. You know, Mary Ellen is so smart and independent; Elizabeth is so cute and funny."

"So?"

"I just don't feel like much of anything."

"That's nonsense!"

"I just can't help it, mama," she says with tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm just here. I'm just Erin."

That was when I gathered her into my arms. It will never stop hurting to see my children hurt. My Erin, my baby girl, doesn't feel special. If only she could see herself through my eyes. That way she can see how magnificent she is.

"Can I tell you a secret?" I whisper into her hair.

"What, mama?" She sobs into my shoulder.

"When I was carrying you," I begin as I pull her face up with my hands so she could look at me. "I was so excited because I just had this sure feeling you were going to be a girl. You were going to be Elizabeth Esther Walton."

"But I'm not Elizabeth, I'm Erin," she says with a confused look on her face. I knew she would be. I'm about to tell her something that only my husband really knows.

"Here's the story of your name. You ready for it?" She replies with an excited nod. Her famous smile is appearing back on her face. God, she's beautiful when she's happy.

"I dreamed of you."

"What?"

"It was the day before I had you. I dreampt that I walked into this beautiful pink nursery. Oh, how I wish I could've afforded you girls one. Well, anyway, I walked over to the crib and this beautiful baby girl looked up at me and smiled. I picked her up and she giggled and said 'Mama.' I asked the baby who she was and the baby said 'Erin'. I looked above the crib and there was her name spelled out for me."

"I told you who I was?" She was amazed.

"I like to think so. Needless to say, the next day I had my girl and her name was Erin. Only your father knows the real story of your name. Would you like to keep it a secret, too?"

"Yeah, mama. That's amazing!"

"Now," I say, taking her face in my hands again. "The next time you don't feel special, remember that story, you hear?"

"With a story like that, who wouldn't feel special?"

We pulled each other into another hug. I was now happy that she was happy again. I have been told of the magical healing powers that mother's can have over their children. I have had some moments, few and far between as they can be, but when they happen, you feel the presence of God shooting through your soul and into your children. I pray the God connection will continue to keep my children close to me.