It happens every year of your life. You have a birthday and your mother becomes nostalgic and emotional about it. Your birth was the single most transformative event of my life. Having you changed me to my very core and absolutely centered me for the first time in my life. I tell you all the time that you were the person that made me a mom for the first time. But I hope that you someday understand that it was more than I was becoming responsible for you. It was almost like becoming your mom raised the bar for me. It forced me to raise my expectations for myself and the person I wanted to be. You do not define me, please don't misunderstand. It's not that having you gave me my purpose in life. It's more like your birth made me live my life with more purpose - achieving my goals and living with integrity became more important. Having you made every choice and action I take in life have more weight. I wanted to be more than your mom, I wanted to be your role model.
This year of your life has been a busy one. We have had our ups and downs, as with everything in life. We've learned some hard lessons together, and you've learned some difficult ones on your own. I hope that through all of this, you always feel that your are important and loved in our home. No matter what, Dad and I have your best interest at heart and are doing everything we can to allow for your success. No one can really ever explain the difficulties that come with parenting. And it's hard to imagine that parenting a kid can actually be harder than parenting a baby. It's true, though. I hope that our honesty with you about life and the actions of love we take for you every day help to show you that you are safe and loved and an important member of our family. Every annoying thing that we force you to do, every time we make you angry with our rules, every time we go to battle with you during your morning routine, we are doing it from a place of love - even when it doesn't feel very loving. We are trying every day to be the parents your deserve. We are loving you every moment of every day.
Lily, you are clearly a very special kid with many people cheering you on. You challenge me to be a better person and you very often lead by example in the most beautiful ways. I love your constant love of learning and your curiosity about new things. I love your creativity and your love for teaching others what you know. You are a complex kid with plenty to teach all of your adoring fans. If you do nothing else, please continue to seek knowledge and find ways to use your strengths for kindness. I have no doubt that each challenge you face will be overcome with your sheer determination. That is such a good word to describe you. Determined. You know exactly what you want and you are determined to make your dreams come true. I have confidence that anything you set your mind to will no doubt happen. You are just the kind of person make the loftiest goals a reality by digging into that bottomless well of grit and focus that you have inside. I'm lucky to be a small part of whatever success you achieve.
I love you,
Mom
