Today you are 15 years old.
These years do not slow down.
Perhaps it is just the busyness of this stage of life where you so often
have activities and schoolwork that occupy your time that makes us feel the
days slipping by so fast. I am hyper-aware
of the dwindling time we have with you before college. We still have more than 3 years, of
course. I know you are “only” a
freshman. But I also know these four
years will fly by. Instead of bracing
for that big step in a way I am tempted to, I find myself more drawn to
celebrating you and enjoying every moment.
You are the most easy-going teenager I could have ever
imagined. You are incredibly calm, incredibly focused,
and incredibly self-possessed. These are
all qualities that I don’t have, but I love seeing them in you.
Graduating 8th grade was a big deal for you. You loved 8th grade. You loved the leadership opportunities and
the general sense of respect that much of the K-8 grade school held for all the
“big kids”. You loved all the last rites
of passage. It was fun to watch you get
your diploma, trying to reconcile the little girl who stood up on that stage
for her preschool program with the taller-than-me young woman in her high
heels, cap and gown.
We had a wonderful summer together. You and I painted our house together. I would wake you up around 6:30, and you
would get up without complaining even though you really did not enjoy any of
the hours before 10. You would work
diligently and capably. We would talk
some. You took your work seriously and
when the top peaks needed someone way up high on a ladder you were the only one
brave enough to ascend the rungs. Every
time I look at our house, I think of you and how hard you worked and how much I
enjoyed spending that time with you.
We did other more entertaining things this summer: like
spending a week at Grandma’s farm, going to the pool, and having a great time
in Minneapolis on our family vacation.
You stepped out of your comfort zone and went to tennis camp with a
whole bunch of high school girls you didn’t know well or at all. It was no surprise to watch you make the best
of everything.
Starting high school was a major adjustment for all of
us. You went from this kid who depended
on us to this kid who could drive herself to and from school every day. We handed you a set of keys and your first
cell phone and it seemed like all of a sudden you left every tiny scrap
of little girl behind.
We don’t find you playing with legos anymore. We knew the day would come but it still
surprises me to see you lounging in a chair reading a book rather than piecing
together some wonderful creation of plastic bricks. You consume books at a frightening pace. You love the heart-break stories. You often read the end of the book before you
should because you just want to know what happens. We watch a lot of movies and you dislike most
of them. But you still love love love
board games. Family game night is your
absolute favorite thing – maybe because you win most of the time.
Along with high school comes a lot of other
adjustments. What I can’t really fathom
is how you handle everything with such grace.
You don’t let little things get to you.
You are never ever involved in any drama whatsoever. You also choose to be involved and I just
love this about you. You refuse to sit
on the sidelines while recognizing that you don’t like spotlights. You want to be in the mix but not the star of
the show. You want to be part of the fun
but not the center of attention. It
seems like you are genuinely enjoying high school and it’s just fun to watch
you enjoy the new experiences.
We can’t talk about you and not mention music. Your talents on trumpet are impressive. Sometimes auditions really wreak havoc on
your nerves – but you are able to easily move on afterward. You continue to play songs on the piano and
trumpet by ear. I’ve heard more movie
theme songs in our house and that always makes me smile. You also sing on praise team at church with
me. I love how much you love playing
music.
Your favorite things are popcorn (obsessed), YouTube,
sweatshirts, reading, sleeping in, tennis, trumpet and piano. You are Maddie’s best friend and Hunter’s
greatest cheerleader. You’ve never lost
a game of Settlers of Catan (gr). You
like smoothies, cinnamon twist donuts and life saver gummies. You give good fashion advice even when its
not really wanted.
I hope I will always remember how gentle 14-year-old Reagan
was with me. This past year your Grandpa
passed away. And there were a lot of
times I needed my family to be patient and understanding with me. There were times I would cry over something
ridiculous (Christmas light frustrations), but you would just gently remind me
that “it was okay” or that “it was just a bad moment”. You forgive so easily, and I admire that
immensely. I don’t know how you are so
patient when I am so often a poor model of that. It must be the work of the Holy Spirit,
molding and shaping you into such a gentle soul.
You are not just a stunningly beautiful girl who is fun to
be around and easy to parent. You are a
peaceful presence, a calm comforter, a gentle humor, a quiet leader, a joyful
friend, and a compassionate teacher. I
look at you and I would not change one single thing about you. Not one thing. You are not a perfect person, but you have so
greatly exceeded every expectation I ever had for my daughter that I know it
must be the work of Jesus. I know you believe,
and you trust. I know you belong to him
out of your own choosing because of how you act and who you are. I watch you and I see how Jesus would act. I believe he has been pursuing your heart all
these 15 years and I trust him completely to continue to give you hope and a
future.
I love you, Reagan!
Love,
~Mom
No comments:
Post a Comment