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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A Happy 13th Birthday




Miss Middle Munchkin enters teen-hood today. Her dad told her this morning that it was weird she was turning 13 because he'd been thinking of her as 13 for so long now. She said, "Me, too. Since about the beginning of August." Of course, we've always been about spreading out the celebrations, so the first gift arrived a few weeks back and we will have additional "parties" when grandparents return to town, a gathering with friends later, and she and her sister are still looking for that perfect concert to attend.

She pulled out a letter this morning that she wrote to herself last year on her 12th birthday. I was unaware of this gift, but it was pretty neat and I am wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea for all of us to spend a little time conversing each year with future selves. In her letter, her 12-year-old self made a list of things she hoped her 13-year-old self was doing.

One line reads, "Working hard. I don't really care what you're working at, as long as you care about it." (shared with permission)

Perhaps I am in love with this line so much because it sounds like something I would say. Throw your passion into whatever it is you decide to do. Let what you care about guide you; don't worry about what other folks care about.

Now on my list are birthday photos (times two!) Munchkin #1 has managed to avoid hers for MONTHS now. I've got to figure out how to reconcile MY passion for documenting her every year with her less-than-enthusiastic response to another set of photos in which she is still wearing braces.

3 comments:

bs said...

Sometime we need a repeat birthday of waiting three weeks, yeah lets hang out for three weeks somewhere awaiting the arrival of Maddie!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to her! Her pictures are all so beautiful and the letter to herself was, well...I'm speechless to be quite honest. I can't think of the words I'd like to say to describe how impressed I am with what she wrote. She IS amazing!

Nancy said...

I like the idea of writing yourself a letter on your birthday. I was thinking only the other day that grandmothers should write a letter on the day of a grandchild's birth, then have the mom save it for him/her. Wish I'd done that with my grandchildren. Birthday wishes to the new teen!

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