You probably didn't notice as you were pleasantly gabbing about letters, the darkening sky, the Lion King movie, and our family how special it was to be alone with you. I know how much you have longed for closeness. How much you love holding hands and having attention. I know how you love to be held and snuggled. I know you wish you could stay little forever and be taken care of. I know it has been hard, adjusting to being a big sister. I know you get lost in the shuffle and are sometimes overlooked.
That is why I loved just being with you tonight. We went to the store to buy a gift for a friend. You glowed again and I was delighted. You joked with me about who stole the color from the sky and read to me the letters of the store we were entering. We held hands the whole time and you dialoged about what you wanted for your birthday.
Claire you are so delightful and you have wonderful special gifts. Sometimes I worry that you don't see how special you are because you are sandwiched between a big sister that learns how to jump rope on the first try and a set of triplets that get a lot of attention. Just keep trying. Don't give up. You are maybe like me, I never got anything on the first try or sometimes not at all. But this is good, if it takes you longer, you will learn to put heart into what you really want to do because you love it. You will have courage and be brave. As your mother I will watch you fail many times and we will both cry together. But in the things that matter, I won't let you fail, you are safe and I love you.
I love you,
Mom
Dear Sherry,
ReplyDeleteI hope that you keep this and give it to CC when she is older and needs reassurance that her life will end up how she wants it to. I was 'sandwiched' between 4 brothers. Until Ruth came along I often felt lost in the shuffle. The times I spent alone with Mom, Daddy, or Nana are some of the most special memories of my childhood. Every kid will experience feeling left out, or not as loved as another sibling, but hopefully as they grow older they realize that parents can be stretched pretty thin (especially in families as large as ours!). When these one-on-one moments occur it can help ease the sting. You have a marvelous awareness of your children as individuals and that will help them grow into secure, loving adults. Just look at their parents :) xoxoxoxoxxo hugs all around, Auntie G
A word of caution: When she turns Sweet 16, I would reconsider the idea of attending her brothers baseball game as entertainment :) sorry N8...
I love that you take the time to write her a note. I need to do this more.
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