When You Are All Grown Up

Dear Delaney~

You turn 5 today. Five amazing, sweet little years have flown by in a blur. One minute I was staring into your gorgeous brown eyes begging you to make a sound – just so I could hear your voice – and now, you never stop talking or singing.

And I can’t get enough of it.

I adore your sweet smile, your freckles, your bouncy curls, the way you skip from one room to another and constantly have that now-dingy, white ‘bit’ (blanket) over your shoulder. I could listen to you giggle for hours.  Your laughter is the soundtrack to my soul.

When you are all grown up, I hope you will know you are loved more than anything in this world.  You will always have my arms to hold you tight, my ears to listen and my heart to heal.

When you grow up, I hope you have some small memory of holding my hand, of putting your head on my shoulder after every nap, of sharing my tea, of snuggling in bed, of learning to swim, of posing for pictures, of making silly faces with your Daddy and of answering, “…a fuzzy bunny’ whenever I said, “Delaney is…..”.

I hope I am teaching you to be generous, to be grateful for all of the wonder in your life, to be self-confident and kind.  I already know you are intelligent and have a talent for singing. I hope I am teaching you to appreciate your gifts and use them well.

When you are all grown up, I pray that you are still the amazing big sister you are today – the one who defends, who loves and who teaches, and who lets the little guy sleep in your bed when he is scared of the lightening.

You are one of the true wonders in my life. A new and beautiful chapter began on July 10, 2004. Every day with you is a miracle. Every hug you give leaves a permanent mark.  Every laugh stamps my heart with a little piece of you.

When you are all grown up, you will understand that I am not perfect, but I never stopped trying to be the very best Mommy I could be. Thank you for being the mirror that reflects my strengths and my shortcomings.  Thank you for being an amazing teacher in a teeny-tiny body.

I adore you baby girl.

Happy, happy birthday.

Love, Mommy