Those Eyes

Those eyes captured my heart the first time I looked into them. Those eyes are full of life and still have the twinkle of innocence that can only be seen in a child. Those beautiful brown eyes are always watching, taking in the world. Those eyes belong to my sweet niece.
As adults, we are aware of what children hear. We listen more closely to television and radio stations and change the channel if the content isn't appropriate. We whisper. We spell out words. We filter what we say. And we expect the same from others.
Somehow, we forget about those eyes and what they see. Today, I was reminded just how much young eyes see. Malaya and I were talking about smoking cigarettes and how gross smoking is. I casually asked her if she was going to smoke when she grows up. Although I expected her "no" answer, her reasons shook me to my core. She doesn't want to smoke because I don't smoke. Not only that, but she is not going to drink coffee or wear much make-up because I don't do those things. And even more, she is going to be a "regular adult" like me and not have children. I laughed and hugged her tight, but there were tears in my eyes. Those eyes are watching everything I do, even the mundane details of my life. What am I showing her? What does she see as my priorities, what I value?
As I've processed through these thoughts, I'm painfully aware of the areas in my life in which I'm not showing her good things. She doesn't see me pray. She sees me spend too much time on the computer. She doesn't see that I care about others (outside the family). She sees my frustration with my brother. She sees too much diet coke.
She sees. She watches. She learns.