Dear Harlyn,
Happy 5th birthday! I can’t even believe it. Time has absolutely flown by.
Just 5 years ago, I was holding you in my arms for the very first time, falling in love with you more by the second. You were literally the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and I couldn’t believe you were here…and you were mine.
There’s this book we read together, “You Made Me a Mother” and it gets me every time. I hope that when you’re old you still remember this book, because the words in it so accurately describe how I feel about you. The part we always read together is “Love. Big Fat Love.” And Harlyn, that’s what I feel for you
So. You’re 5. You love what most 5 year old girls I’ve known do…Barbies, crafts, Our Generation dolls (you don’t have a real American Girl doll…sorry kid!), playing games, tag, hide n seek. You beg me to play any and all of that with you, and if I have to say no, you aren’t very pleased with me.
I put you to bed every single night. After we read books, devotional and Bible story with Daddy, we head to your room and Daddy tucks us in. We talk for a while, you try to con me into playing with one of the 4,000 stuffed animals or dolls you have in bed with us, and eventually, you ask me to rub your back til you fall asleep. And I usually rub your back so long that I fall asleep in there too. Once I wake up, I sneak out as quietly as I can, but before I shut the door the last little bit, I sneak a peek at the most beautiful, wonderful girl I’ve ever seen.
You’re so smart, Harlyn girl. I mean, I don’t even think I’m just saying that because I’m your mom. I mean, you’re learning your sight words, you have a really good grasp on math concepts, and you just get things. But watch out if you don’t: you are a perfectionist just like me and expect to do everything perfectly the first time you try. Lovebug, take it from me…we’re never going to be perfect, and learning new things takes time. Don’t beat yourself up over it. It took me til adulthood to get that. I hope you learn sooner.
You still say the cutest things: “aminal” for animal, “cimmanim” for cinnamon, “perzent” for percent, “challench” for challenge. I know I should gently correct you by making sure I say it back to you the right way, but sometimes I don’t. I secretly love this about you and it’s one of the very last things about you that is baby/toddler. In every other way, you’re growing up so fast.
Speaking of your words, girl…you use huge words and you are not afraid to speak your mind. You will absolutely take someone’s thought, process it, and say “Actually…” and proceed to articulate exactly how you feel about it. But if I’m being honest, you are also quite sassy, and we often have to talk about talking back, manners, and listening. We’ll get there.
The most amazing thing of all the past five years is your walk with Jesus. What started as singing prayers at dinner time has become a solid understanding (for your age…maybe any age now that I’m thinking about it) of who God is. You tell me that you start each day by talking to God before you get out of bed. I don’t know how you came to start doing that, but I absolutely love it. I am so proud that you ask us to pray every single time you hear an emergency vehicle siren. You love the Lord, even at your young age. If all I ever do is help in a tiny way to bring you and your brother to Jesus, then I have accomplished more than I could have asked for.
Harlyn, I love you so much more than words could ever say. Happy birthday to the girl who made me a mother.
Love,
Mommy
