To Lorraine on her 12th birthday

Lorraine. 

Age 12

To Lorraine, on your twelfth birthday,

Is that even how you spell twelth? Twevlth? Twellth? I should ask you. You can edit my stuff now, thanks to your Shirley English lessons and your gift of writing.  And wow, you LOVE finding errors!

So lately, there have been these moments... moments when I look at you and you just... take my breath away. Because I can see: I can see the lovely young lady you are, the beautiful woman you are becoming.

I love that you're old enough to babysit, and understand my nerd jokes, and cook and bake and sew,
and yet you're still young enough to make a sled train, and a snow fort, and ride on the carousel.

Confession: I am finishing this birthday letter a little late this year. It's May. At least it's not your half birthday- not quite!

You continue to surprise me, girly. I cannot believe there was a time when I could hardly get you to read. You could do it, but you just didn't like it. And I thought, who is this girl? How could she have come from these parents?  But patience was all we needed, and now here you are in love with the books that speak to you. Your love for the Harry Potter series is even more than I can comprehend today- you actually woke up early- at 4:30 am!- just so you could keep reading! Nothing is even due, you just wanted to meet a self-imposed goal!  This makes me smile, even though it gives me extra work to do (now I have to catch up with you in book six- you just passed my bookmark!)

As you continue to grow and bloom, May God continue to grow and nurture those gifts He's given you.  He is wiser even than Dumbledore, and I hope you know that you are loved and cared-for by Him and all of those around you.

In the years to come, I wish you:
A love of books, like Hermione and Klaus
Violet Baudelaire's way of getting out of tight spaces by using her brain
Someone small and sweet, like Sunny, to love and snuggle
The gentle spirit of Anthea, caring for her little "Lamb," and her tender conscience
Friends like Fred and George to give you the best laughs
A chance to fly, if not on a broomstick, then perhaps a plane
A grandmotherly figure in your life, watching over you, and curbing your frivolity, like Mrs. McGonagall, especially when you leave this house!

Like Mrs. Weasley, I will worry for you, mother you, and feed you, as long as we both shall live.

I love you, my dear Lorraine!
Mom