A Birthday Letter to my Wise One

Adelina, what can I say? You turn seven today. Seven! Where did the time go?! This year you lost your first tooth -plus two more! You learned how to snap your fingers and braid hair. You made new friends. You began to like Kosovo foods which you would never touch before, like pita, byrek, and fli (wonder of wonders!)

Every morning now you get up on your own, brush your teeth, wash and brush your hair and get ready for the day. You and Teuta now share a room in our new apartment and you've helped teach her to tidy the room with you in the evenings and make your beds in the morning.

I am so proud of you.

I have to say, my dear, that you may not have a very easy time in life. You will not simply float through, anyway. This is not necessarily a bad thing, for to struggle is to live and to struggle through brings strength. You will always come through one way or another and you will always come out stronger, wiser.

I am here for you when it is easy and when it is hard. Since you usually prefer to do things the hard way it might be hard a lot! But my arms and ears and heart are always here for you, know that!

You are fierce and I love you fiercely.

I love to teach you, I love to watch you, I love spending time with you.

I love the way you hurt to see others hurt. That's called compassion and it is a wonderful quality.

I love that you are authentic and always honest, even when you are brutally honest with me.

I love how you are my mirror, even though you and I are so different.

I love your boldness, your confident, "take-charge' attitude. You may be a great leader one day.

I love your out-of-the-box thinking and your wit.

I love the icy blue of your eyes, the shimmer of your wheat-blonde hair, and the very faintest smattering of freckles under your eyes.

I love playing Uno with you, and going on dates, and playing with every stray puppy we see, and watching you make yourself an omelette, and listening to you sing (you have such a powerful voice!) and hearing all about your dreams for the future... And a thousand other things.

So happy Birthday to you, my dear, happy, happy Birthday.

I am blessed to be yours~

Love, Mommy