Dear Youngest, Please Don't Grow Up

Each year, we anticipate the new year approaching. You were born at a friend's house, January 1, 2000.

 Many make plans to celebrate. We like to stay up late. Set off sparklers outside and revel in the festivities in our hood. We don't have to go further than the front porch to see the action.

For us, though, this is your birthday; which makes you twelve years old. I know, duh momma. Now that you're twelve, you're looking towards the future. Your whole life is ahead of you. I know, whats the big deal, momma. It's not so easy, but keep your positive attitude: What's the big deal?

It gets harder to say 'what's the big deal' because we make a big deal, these things that happen, the things people do and the things that they say; or things happen unexpectedly with those that you love; learn to let go of the negativity and take responsibility for yourself; decide to make your happiness an option for you to choose, so when things aren't going so well, you have a direction to take. And yes, I support your current ambition to be a WWE wrestler. So for now, stay twelve...because thirteen is another ball of yarns.

“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.”

If I only knew you were trying to tell me then, that you want a piano. Stat.

― Anne Frank

When you were born, it felt like I was born too. I became the mother to a daughter for the first time.

Where ever did the time go? From 2000 to 2012, it's been somewhat of a blur. Holding you on my hip, checking the mailbox and opening the letter right there in the street, you were this old when I received my acceptance letter at Western. Suddenly, I went from stay-at-home mom to three university degrees while working, volunteering, single mom-ing and reading anthropology, linguistics and library science books to you as bedtime stories. Your favourite books and movies are mysteries, historical fiction and the countless stories and movies you've created. One of my favourites is an animated segment you produced when you were eight using Movie Maker and Microsoft Paint...you drew each picture and figured out how to make the character look like she was speaking - adding emotion and animating her eyes and expressions. You added her voice. A few days of working on this and a few seconds of a movie were complete:

Brava, bella!