Roo

My lone little girl. 

The middle child to our bookend boys.

You look like your daddy, you have his same reaction to deep conversations sometimes 

(a glazed look is a good term for it), 

but my daughter...

You remind me of myself. 

You have some of my best traits, and some of my worst traits.

 You love deeply, you care sincerely, and I know you really try

your best to make good choices.

This is a time in your life when your starting to figure out who you are, what makes you, YOU.

 

Your 8.

EIGHT!

I feel like the majority of my memories started when I was 8.

 I remember the first time I walked around the school talking 

like Groucho Marx and loving that people laughed about it. 

 *Though it drives me crazy sometimes, I know that your love of silly voices is familiar*

Or when I would put together an outfit that I LOVED, only to have it made fun of.

*My Rainbow Roo, you have such a sense of style. Keep that. Don't let it be tainted by what's trendy or acceptable. Be fun, be bright, because that is YOU*

Or the time when my friends didn't want to play with me, 

but with the other girls instead and I felt rejected.

*Dear sweet girl, this has happened already and will happen again. I pray that you grow strong in your heart and know that it's OK if everyone doesn't get you...you might struggle with this concept for a long time.*

Or when I looked up to the "cool" older girls, 

and they weren't all I thought they would be.

 

*This is part of life's disappointments, one day you will start seeing what personalities could strengthen you and what personalities could weaken you. Regardless of "status", "popularity" or "intelligence", be true to who YOU are.*

There are times when I want to shelter you from your own heart, because I see the hurt you experience when someone speaks unkindly to you.

And I feel it.

The confusion you feel when your left out.

I feel it.

The sadness you feel when you've let someone down.

I feel it. 

Because though we may clash already, I get you.

I will do my best to put aside my desires for you to be ONLY the best of me

and focus only on letting you be the best of you. 

 

Happy Birthday Ryleigh Roo. 

Love,

Mama