When we first found out Mikaela was a girl, I cried. Not because I did not want a girl, but because I knew first-hand how hard being a girl (especially during those trying middle school years) could be. I cried for what she might face, and because I did not feel healed enough myself to help her with the challenges ahead. In a way, it was just what I needed to get serious about working through my own past hurts with the Lord.