I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what Siena’s legacy will be.

What will her story say?

So often we dream about the amazing impact our child will have once we finish with them, once they have grown, and are ready to take their place in the real world.

We often delude ourselves just how much say we ultimately have in that process.

One of my favorite St. Catherine of Siena quotes is “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”


As our Siena is named for this great Doctor of the Church, I’ve been reflecting lately on just what this might mean for our little girl?

Who is Siena?  


What is she meant to be?


What types of fire will she set?

There are so many different ways to set the world on fire.  Sometimes we light a fire by inspiring people to stand for what they believe in a new way.   Sometimes we light a fire by uniting people in their differences.  Sometimes we light a fire by reaching out to others.  Sometimes we fan the flames of the fire started by another.  Sometimes we merely light a smoldering spark in the ashes, a fire of which we may never see the flames.  

Fire can bring cleansing.  Fire can bring warmth and healing.   Fire can also bring destruction to allow for necessary rebuilding.

What does that mean for Siena?

In the end, while we might feel like we will somehow control or decide how Siena’s story ends, there is only one author of her life, her death, and any fires that she may set.

May His history be her legacy.

May He make our broken beautiful.

This little girl’s story may be short, but I pray that it will, nonetheless, have an impact on the world around her.    I pray that I will be humble enough to offer the authorship to God and open enough to share that story with the right people, in the right time, in the right ways.

May His story, written on our hearts, make broken beautiful.