11 Years ago today,

you slipped from my womb and I saw you for the first time.

I met red hair and a gentle spirit and waited to see what more time would reveal —- who you would become.

You have become a girl with little time to be concerned with her hair or matching clothes.  You give no thought to hair still retaining the oil we put in to work out tangles or a sweater worn backward with a tag sticking out at your neck.  Why concern yourself with such trivialities when there are birthday candles with sweet dirt cake needing to licked?

You are busy and creative —- doing your schoolwork, completing chores, writing stories and poems, drawing flamingos, making art from trash, creating a whole world of characters with your sister.

You focus on the important things.

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You are a girl who asks for very little, and you are joyful when you receive it.  You take joy in small things.

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You love words and reading.  And you are not too self-conscious to be silly and laugh at yourself.

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You treasure birthday cards and love to reread throughout the year, remembering the people who gave them to you.  You treasure memories and people.

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You still have the red hair and gentle spirit, but you are so much more now.  So much more and so much better than I could have ever imagined.

I love you, my dear girl.