Dear Maddie,
Today is your golden birthday. You are now officially a teenager.
Thirteen years have gone by fast. You’ve always been this awesome mixture of vibrant
and calm. So many teachers and coaches
have told me over the years how much they appreciate your good attitude. You continue to bless our family with your
lighthearted shenanigans and goofy antics.
This past year or so has been a journey for you. I spent a lot of time praying for a godly
group of friends for you – girls who would speak light and life and love over
you – and girls who would encourage your faith.
You’ve found them. I love hearing
you laugh and be silly together. I love
that you are supporting each other and watching out for each other. I love that they leave you smiling and never
crying. Friends who love Jesus and love
you well are so important. Always seek
out people who are kind, compassionate, caring and dependable.
Your favorite thing in all the world is spending time with
little kids. Whether it is babysitting
or teaching VBS, you love being around little ones. With a patience and a joy I cannot fully
comprehend, you welcome kids into your arms and delight in following them
around and entertaining them for hours on end.
It’s fun to watch you in that and see the gentle joy on your face.
You are taking after your big sister in some ways, and
entirely different from her in others. Like
Reagan, you push yourself academically.
We never have to tell you to do your homework. And we also don’t have to tell you to stop
doing your homework and go to bed. You
have great balance which is an awesome life-skill to have. I appreciate that you want to do well and
give things your best effort.
You enjoy playing flute in the band, but you do not enjoy
playing piano. You have a lovely voice
and sing so beautifully. You are always
willing to sing with me on praise team.
When someone hands you a microphone, you do not panic. You have lead prayers and other readings in
church with grace and poise and clarity.
I’m thankful that the only kind of drama you like is the kind that happens in a play. You do so well at memorizing lines, acting with your whole body, delivering lines with great expression, and being willing to throw yourself into the various roles. It takes a certain kind of special bravery to do theater. You have it.
You were super busy this past year with multiple
sports. You tried volleyball for the
first time. It was a true learning experience
for you. You played basketball on the
school and travel team. At first you
were disappointed that you were listed on the B Team for school. But then games started, and you became this
awesome little team leader. You loved it
and it was so much fun. The confidence
you gained there only grew your skills and soon you were invited to play a few
minutes on the A team. But you were also
so chill about it. You just wanted to play
ball. You faced adversity with such
grace and ease. You also just finished
track. As a 7th grader, you
ran many races with and against 8th graders and did well! You found your skill lies in an 800 (2 laps
around the track). You never once
complained but went to every practice with a good attitude. We have loved seeing you find this new fun
sport this year. Whatever sport you are
in, you try so hard and are an encouraging teammate.
When you are not playing a sport or hanging out with friends,
or doing homework, you are reading. You
got your own library card recently. The
rate at which you consume books is impressive.
The stacks you borrow from the library are enormous. And now I am seeing something new – you have
become an AWESOME writer. I had to
proofread several of your assignments the past several months. This is usually very difficult for me because
I am a writer. I want to fix every poorly
worded sentence. But reading through
your recent War for Independence diaries was an absolute delight. Maddie, you are a wonderful writer! Wow! This
kind of writing only comes when you can SEE well. When you can consider small details and
include them that helps your reader get a sense of the scene or the character. That is not something everyone can do, but
you do it easily. I hope you continue to
use and develop that talent.
While at school you are a great student, at home you are
just a total goofball. You are our “relocator”
because you tend to carry random things around the house, put them down and walk
away. Because of you, there are
squishmallows everywhere. All the
time. You look up to your big sister
(figuratively and literally). If she has
something, you probably want it. You
like to mother your little brother which he does not appreciate at all. And you love to tease your Dad until he cracks
and smiles. When I think of you in our family,
I see a source of encouragement. You
cheer us on.
You love your stuffed animals, new clothes, crunch wraps and
art. You love doing fancy hand-lettering,
swimming and your Aunt Amy. You love
your little cousins, your grandparents and smores. You love thrift shopping, pandas, Target and
makeup. You love others well. And you love Jesus.
You’re growing fast these days and your eyes are closer to
mine all the time. I won’t be at all
surprised when I have to look up a bit.
You are not a perfect person and you don’t have to be. But you are such a beautiful girl with such a
beautiful spirit. There’s little not to
love about you, Maddie. And there’s so
much to celebrate about your thirteen GOLDEN years.
I love you, Fluffy.
Love,
Mom
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