Dear Addy,
A few weeks ago, you turned 4 years old.
In the days leading up to your birthday I realized that I was having a
hard time believing that you were actually going to be 4 - maybe that is why it took me so long to write this letter. I don't have a
hard time believing that you brother will soon be 6, or your sister will soon
be 2, but you, my sweet girl, and your 4th birthday snuck up on me.
You are, and I am pretty sure will always
be, my wild card. You are still hard to predict and have a personality
that keeps us guessing. As much as I
could sit here and write page after page on your sweetness and kindness, I
could easily match it with your sass and fly-off-the-handle emotions. You are a mixed bag, but it’s what makes you
tick and what makes you, you.
This past year, like each that came before it, you
transformed. You are such a girl now and
have absolutely and completely left anything “toddler” in your dust. You keep up with anyone and everyone, talking
circles around them as you attempt to not only dominate the activity, but also
the conversation. You are tall, and for
that reason, often get mistaken for substantially older than you are. Over the
course of this past year, and probably for the next while as well, I had to
remind myself that you were/are still little.
You cannot be expected to keep up with your older brother 100% of the
time and always keep it together, like he has pretty well figured out how to
do. You were just three, and now you are
JUST four, and in my books, that gets you a freak out or two at your
discretion.
This past year I read a book that contained the line “…she isn’t
just a challenging part of my day, she is her own person, with her own
days. Some of those days are harder than
others, like mine. I’m noticing her more.” This message has been tattooed on my brain
since the day I read it. It simply spoke
to me and to the relationship that you and I share. Because you see, my sweet girl, we can
sometimes struggle, you and I. And it
helps me to remember that just like I have off days, so do you. And quite honestly, you probably do a better
job of rallying on those rough days than I do.
Addy, my middle one, my spitfire and my light – you are going to
do amazing things. People flock to you,
strangers fall in love with you, people listen when you talk. Now, some may say that that is all because
you don’t give people any other choice, but regardless, you are going to
thrive. As your Grandpa would say, the
world needs more assertive young women and you fit that to a tee. You are strong, thoughtful, kind and
generous. You are also emotional,
dramatic, loud and exhausting. But it’s
the balance that works and I wouldn’t change you if I could. But where my job comes in is not in changing you,
but in molding you. You have so many
amazing traits already and I know that with time will come the growth that will
make you into the game changer I know you can be and want to be. Because nobody is made with a spirit like
yours to sit on the side line.
So to you, at 4 – You are happiness
in all of its definitions, in all of its forms. And because you won’t stay this little forever and instead will run head first into the burning building of what it means to grow up,
I’ll just look forward to the bumpy ride. Just promise to take me with you.
Love to you, my girl, my light, my joy. Happiest x4 and for
forever.
Love,
Mama
xoxo
Posts
