This week I sat down to fill out thank you cards for the wedding. I am almost done. But while I was out getting the cards, I stopped to get my niece a couple of cards. First Halloween, first Thanksgiving, first Birthday... that sort of thing. As I was standing there in the cards looking at all the years, I started picking up one of each. One for every year up to age 21. No, I am not just taking advantage of a sale. It's just that as I looked at the cards, I realized that I don't know if I will be here to give them to her. Which card is going to be the first card I won't be giving to her myself? Will I be here for her fifth birthday, when she is finally old enough to start school? What about her thirteenth birthday, when she enters the whole new world of the teen years? Or will it be 16, when she finally gets her license? Maybe her 18th, when she enters the world of adulthood... or 21, when she is in college and enjoying her first legal drink. I don't know... but I bought them all.
I sat at the table with all of the cards and started at the beginning. I know that she won't be reading the first few herself, so they were fairly short notes. But as she gets older, the notes get longer. I tell her how beautiful she is. I tell her what a gift she is. I tell her how proud I am of her, how everything about her brings me joy. I tell her that I see her, that I love her and that I will always be here for her... even though I know that at some point, being "here" will mean being there only in spirit. On her 21st birthday, I wrote a longer note. I tell her that I am writing this card before she even turned one, and I tell her again that I love her. The note tells her all about how I feel about her now, all our hopes for her, all the silly stories I have so far. I explain that this is the last card from me, but that it doesn't mean I will ever stop loving her or watching over her, but that from this day forward, she needs to hear my message in her heart daily... not just on her birthday.
All of the cards are going into a scrap book. With each birthday, I plan to add pictures. I hope as she gets older, there are pages and pages of birthday photos with me and my princess, but I know there will come a time when I won't be in the picture physically.
I hope I am doing the right thing.
I sat at the table with all of the cards and started at the beginning. I know that she won't be reading the first few herself, so they were fairly short notes. But as she gets older, the notes get longer. I tell her how beautiful she is. I tell her what a gift she is. I tell her how proud I am of her, how everything about her brings me joy. I tell her that I see her, that I love her and that I will always be here for her... even though I know that at some point, being "here" will mean being there only in spirit. On her 21st birthday, I wrote a longer note. I tell her that I am writing this card before she even turned one, and I tell her again that I love her. The note tells her all about how I feel about her now, all our hopes for her, all the silly stories I have so far. I explain that this is the last card from me, but that it doesn't mean I will ever stop loving her or watching over her, but that from this day forward, she needs to hear my message in her heart daily... not just on her birthday.All of the cards are going into a scrap book. With each birthday, I plan to add pictures. I hope as she gets older, there are pages and pages of birthday photos with me and my princess, but I know there will come a time when I won't be in the picture physically.
I hope I am doing the right thing.
You are an excellent writer. :)
ReplyDelete*huggles* (Jodi)
ReplyDeleteAn excellent writer and an excellent person. Such a sweet idea to write these for her so she always will know how much you love and care for her even if your not there to show her. You truly are a remarkable person. I am blessed to know you personally and I am thankful for all you've done for me. You were an ear to listen, you give great advice, your one hell of a friend, and an awesome boss. Thank you Dawyn.
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