Isabella Belafonte's Thirteenth Birthday

Isabella, this is your special day; it is your thirteenth birthday! Congratulations! You are now a teenager. You are five years away from being an adult. Many challenges will come your way; the decisions you make will determine where you'll be going in life; in this area, I'm confident that you'll do well.

I remember the time when you told me that you wanted to become a writer just like me. This made me feel good; this gave me the confidence to continue writing. I am going to write a poem for you to commemorate your special day.

Having the grace to be
humble, it's hard to
be a teen. In life, the
challenges you face
come without the thought of
a grumble. Grumbles
are easy, but try to
make them in the form
of a jeer; to achieve
this, we need to have
laughter in this world. Let's
begin by the things
we say and do; let's start
with our friendship.

To enrich people's lives,
we can make a change.
Believe in yourself. You'll
be a good person.
Learn from the mistakes you've
made. You'll be able
to distinguish right from
wrong, knowing in your
heart that you belong. You
are strong; you care for
loved ones in need. You're an
individual,
unique in all your ways.

It's a pleasure to know
you. I've known you from
the time you were born. You
have blossomed into
a butterfly; you have
endured a lot of
things in your life; you are
a special girl; you're
good with people. I want
it to be clear; you
shouldn't have to live in
fear. Let the love of
God flow from your heart;
your testimonies
will help other people.


Written by Anna Marie Carlson
October 21, 2021