Dear Mercedes,
Happy 10th Birthday! It is
impossible to accurately explain just how much you have changed all of our
lives – myself, your father, your grandparents, your aunts. Before you, we were
a family, a great family – but you are the one who changed us all. You turned
us into parents and grandparents and aunts. You made us realize the full depth
of love we were capable of, and just how it feels to have a piece of your heart
permanently walking around outside of your body. Of course, I love your brother
and sister just the same, but there will always be something special about the
firsts with your first born. I will never forget how I felt in the last couple
of weeks leading up to your arrival – impatient, anxious, nervous, and excited
beyond belief at getting to meet you and finally learn all about you. I had no
idea just how perfect of a mix of your father and I that you would be –his skin
tone, my face, his body and feet, my excitement about writing, and a
personality (and hair) all your own.
The downside to being the first born is
that we basically continually experiment on you. In fact, I’ve told you often
that just as you are learning how to be an 8 year old, 9 year old, and now 10
year old, we are learning how to parent that age also. We make mistakes, to be
sure, but we always try our best and I hope you always remember that every
decision we make is because we love you and want you to grow up to the best
version of yourself that you can be. Not the one who gets the highest marks,
not the one who wins the most awards, not the one who always wins the race… but
the one who is kind, and considerate, and inclusive, and a little goofy, and
can be sarcastic and take a good joke like the rest of us. You are well on your
way, and we can’t wait to see what the next decade holds for you.
I won’t lie,
I am a LITTLE nervous about navigating the pre-teen and teenager years ahead,
but as you will be figuring out your path in life, your father and I will
always be walking, and learning, alongside you.
We love you – Happy First Decade!
Love,
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