I wasn’t really ready to be a mother to a pre-teen but here we are. Are we ever ready for these milestones? I wanted the babies to walk and sleep through the night, but then I wasn’t really prepared for what these developments really meant for my relationships with my kids. This is the nature of the journey though. As soon as we think we’ve got it, they change. They challenge us, delight us, confound us.
I am so happy to be the mother of this little girl. She’s a mirror, a touchstone, a reminder. She makes me remember what it was like to be her age. She makes me remember what I want to be. We are so alike in so many ways, but she’s the younger version. She’s the one who hasn’t lost
On her Birthday Eve, she was climbing at the gym and took a pretty big fall. I heard her cry out from around the corner and knew something was very wrong. She’s not a very dramatic child, and when it’s your kid, sometimes you just know. She stayed down and wouldn’t get up. After a trip to urgent care that night and a visit to the ortho the next day, we knew it was broken. She was in pain and sad and afraid of having to move her arm for the x-ray, but she never refused or panicked. She wants to climb again. She’s so strong and powerful, but she doesn’t know it quite yet.
She is becoming more of the person she is and is going to grow up to be. She has strong opinions and does not suffer fools. She’s sensitive and empathetic and kind, but will not be bullied. She hates it when the rest of us fight with each other at home, but she’s perfectly willing to engage in some battles of her own…..especially with her brother. She has an amazing set of friends, including that best friend she’ll never forget or be able to detach from completely. I’m very proud of who she chooses to be with and love spending time with them.
She loves her dogs and has a very special little “soul mate”. I love watching her with her tiny pup. She spends her own money on his wardrobe and snuggly things, and she lights up as much as he does when they finally see each other after a long separation. She has such a kind and tender heart for animals and has decided she wants to be a vegetarian (except for bacon and turkey on Thanksgiving). She loves to read, draw, play board games and puzzles, climb rock walls at the climbing gym, and play Harry Potter imaginary games.
She loves to spend LOTS of time with her friends, but never at someone else’s sleepover. She’s a writer, an entrepreneur, an animal lover, and kind of a slob. She’s lovely, but never vain, confident, snuggly, and sometimes sassy and moody. She has a sweet tooth that I pray doesn’t overcome her own better sense when she’s an adult. She’s an easy-going introvert who works hard on her extroverted side. She’s my sweet, strong, amazing Ava. My little bird.
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This is so beautifully written, so true and such a perfect tribute to Ava. She is beautiful, inside and out, and very lucky to have you guiding her.