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 Reflections and ruminations from a modern day Alice - Life is Wonderland |
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Reflections and ruminations from a modern day Alice - Life is Wonderland  Welcome to the place were I chronicle my own falls down dark holes and adventures chasing white rabbits! Come on In, Take a Bite, You Never Know What You May Find... "Curiouser and curiouser." Alice in Wonderland ** Image ID #1701066 Unavailable **   |
| To my Beautiful Jadybug, On your 16th Birthday; I have tried to be diligent about documenting your journey of your life, so that one day you would have this record of how I remembered you at all your ages and stages of growth. I have always been a writer, but you became my most important muse the very moment I learned you were growing inside me, in such close proximity to my heart. One day, I will hand you that book, perhaps the only one I will ever actually finish, and it will be a collection of all these precious testimonies from a mother who grew and blossomed right along with you. But today, I give you this one piece early, because your sweet sixteenth is such a special milestone. Age 16 is the place in life where you are poised to leave all of childhood behind, and begin evolving into a young women. At this pivotal time in your life, I want you to know what is in your mother’s heart at this moment, so you carry it with you through the year ahead. At times, your ability to impress and delight me, seems boundless. It is the ultimate joy of my life to be your mom. Even when I seem frustrated or challenged by you, I am still enjoying this time with you. High school is your adventure, but I am happy to be along for this ride. You should know that, first and foremost. I am amazed at how deeply you wish to understand things that should be beyond your years. I have always said my daughter was an old soul, but watching you interact with the world and the people around you, you have continually proven me right. Listening to you read me passages out of your book, and then explaining how you find parallels to the people and experiences in your own life, leave me awed. Your empathy and kindness are as much as a defining feature of who you are, as any physical trait would be. Those lovely sea change eyes take in the world, and your heart doles out reason and empathy in equal balance, in a way that truly seems beyond your years at times. You think and feel about life in a deeper way, and I know that you sometimes feel that this sets you apart from others. Believe me when I tell you, that it is a beautiful and special thing about you. I hope you learn to always love that about yourself, as much as I do. The quality of your heart is evidenced by the company you keep. You have made yourself wonderful friends. You nurture those relationships well, cherishing those that give you the same love and respect you give to them. You choose people in your life wisely. You are becoming more and more adept at recognizing what relationships deserve more nurturing, and which ones add color and fun to your landscape. There is nothing more joyful for me then watching you with your friends; the smiles, the laughter, the inside jokes, and the more serious looking conversations witnessed in my rearview mirror and on the sidelines of the volleyball court. As kind as you can be, you have your limits, especially with me. Although, our arguments lately seem less like the battles and teenager tantrums of those early teen years. These days you seem ready to debate me, especially if you if believe I’m not listening or hearing your position. I can still see you growing and evolving even when you are at your most unreasonable. My heart is happy that you still seek our approval, and that you have come to have an appreciation for the values we instilled in you. I love that you seek those same values in the people you care about. I have watched you work so hard to be the best version of yourself from the volleyball court to the classroom. I love that you take pride in your schoolwork, and that you want to be a good student. I’m so proud of the way you been here for Dad in his illness. You have not allowed doubt and fear from that past grief to consume you and instead, you have always sought reason and positivity for your Dad. What you may not know is that in some of my darker moments when I have felt scared and overwhelmed, you have given me the strength to be hopeful, and grateful and positive. My beautiful girl….I know that now, at this age, life will begin to advance on you faster and faster. I know that I will be running to stay just ahead of those big moments, those tough choices and all the important decisions that will start to define your future. Things you do will have real impacts on your life, and I am in equal parts, excited, and scared for all that lies ahead for you. Stay on your path, keep defining yourself, keep respect and kindness a priority for yourself and for others. This is an important milestone, one that sits like a shiny gateway to all that you will do and become. Know that your father and I have your back always and forever and that we love you to the moon, and all the way back again. |
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