This is not how I had planned this letter to go. Never, in a million years, could I have predicted that we'd have to celebrate your birthday during a global pandemic. Never would I have thought that no one could be here to celebrate. We knew your birthday was a Thursday, a dance day. We knew we wouldn't be able to even have a sleepover tomorrow with H because you would have a soccer game Saturday morning. We were sure, though, that H would come over tomorrow. We'd go out to dinner. We'd laugh, eat cake, and have fun. These were things we thought we knew. Obviously, the world had other plans. But, I promise, my Sweet Baby Boo, that we WILL go out to dinner with H. We will laugh, we will eat cake, and we will have a great time, soon. I promise those gifts we ordered a month ago will shortly arrive. You have handled this all better than I have. You have accepted your birthday is not going to look like we thought it would. You are disappointed, but have made peace with it, even though I have not. This was not the tone I had intended for this letter. I wanted to speak to your about your bravery and your accomplishments, but never did I think I would be discussing how strong you are to understand that life has been flipped upside down and there's no fixing it.
So, I'm going to try to write the note that I wanted to write before. Before the world stopped moving.
Happy Birthday, my Sweet Baby Boo! This has been a huge year for you! You should be so proud of yourself and all of your accomplishments. I know I am. You've done so much and had so many magnificent moments since last April.
It has been an honor to be able to watch your skills grow. I'm not just talking about one skill here or there, but a wide range of them. Your soccer skills get better each season, as do your dance and softball skills. This year has been a stellar one for Math. Have i mentioned lately how proud I am of you for your math skills? I know your confidence is low in this area, but you wouldn't be in advanced math next year if you weren't capable. Writing has always been your strong suit, but even those skills have really blossomed over this past year (I knew they would because you have some kick butt teachers!).
This year, you tried new things and excelled at them. You added on a dance class. You were nervous you wouldn't be able to keep up, but you were. You are sticking with it by doing the online classes for not only your level, but higher levels so that you can push yourself. This winter, you learned how to ski and loved it (still not sure where you and your brother came from on that one since your father and I hate the cold!). Listening to you talk about all the hills you went down and how you tried hills that were difficult gave me such a sense of pride. You are bold and brave and willing to try almost anything.
You have shone with your leadership skills this year as well. Every teacher you have ever had has said you are a leader and a good roll model for other students. This year, that was recognized by being chosen as a Safety Patrol Captain and Co-President of K-Kids. I believe you understand that you don't have to be bossy to be a leader. A leader listens and makes the best decisions possible for everyone involved, not just themselves. You truly are a leader in your every day life.
You are so kind hearted. You take the time to help your friends and make them feel better. Even more, it's not just your friends. You have included students you are not fond of because they were left out. You try to make others happy, regardless of it they are your friends or not. I know that during this pandemic, it's been so difficult to keep in touch with everyone. I love that you spent 2 hours on the phone playing Uno and other games with H yesterday. I love that you and K spent time on Zoom making up dances. I love that you and A were able to do dance classes "together" on Zoom. I hope that, as we're confined to our houses, you do more of these things to help you feel connected once again.
I am so proud of all your strength and dedication to your education and sports during this time of change. I love that you have taken time to learn new things. I love that your take the initiative to do workouts for dance on your own. I love that you head outside, almost every day, to throw the softball or kick the soccer ball around. I love that I don't have to hound you to do your school work. I love that you do the optional activities with as much gusto as the assigned activities. I love that you DO things instead of sitting around watching TV or playing on electronics. I love your passion for reading and how you've branched out with what you read. I love that you have contributed so much to this household.
My wish for you this year has changed since the world has changed. My wish for you for this year is that you don't lose hope. Stay strong and know that some day, you will once again play with your friends. You will have dance class that is not in our living room. You will play softball with a team rather than your family. You will play soccer on a field instead of in your backyard. You will once again learn in a classroom instead of your bedroom. Until then, stay true to who you are. Know that people love you and are here for you. Like all times, you are not alone. We are all here for you. Your brother, father, and I would move mountains for you. You have caring and kind friends who have done a lot to make this day special for you. That speaks to your character and who you are.
I hope you have a wonderful birthday, my sweet Baby Boo.
I love you forever.
Mommy