Thursday, January 03, 2008

Lucky number seven

To my Unruly on her 7th birthday,

Where has the past seven years gone? My, oh, my. You've grown up so fast and become such an amazing little girl! A trip that has been incredibly trying at times, trial yes, but such an amazing, wonderful trip it's been so far. I've learned more from you in your short seven years than I have in my 35 year existence. Your view on life is refreshing and often so hard to argue with. Thank you for that. Thank you for making me reach out and touch my 7-year-old mind again. It needed a dusting off.

When you were barely a week old I fretted and worried, scared to death and terrified to see you so listless and hooked up to all kinds of machines. Did you know the doctor had to put an IV in the top of your little head because your veins were too tiny for an IV needle? Seeing you like that, all hooked up and taped and lying in that horrible plastic box was the worst experience of my life. But you healed, and you are independent and headstrong and so very, very smart.

And sometimes I am terrified that you are too independent, too smart, too headstrong. Too much like your mom.

You question everything. You don't take anything at face value and you are probably the Earth's youngest conservationist and protector. I can't count the number of times we've driven past cluttered, crowded subdivisions and you ask why people choose to destroy the Earth and cut down the trees just so they can have big houses. You want to know why people make so many babies when they are already crowded. You get angry when you see trash on the ground and I've had to endure lectures when I decide this tree or that tree needs to come down. "Mom, how can you love Mother Nature if you are killing her trees?"

I never have a good answer. I'm running out of good answers for your soul-searching questions. I'm afraid I'm losing that "mom knows all" status and I'm saddened by it. But I'm thrilled to see you growing up so beautifully. Because you are beautiful, inside and out. I hope you never lose your passion for life and for all the life around you. I hope you fulfill your dreams of being a zoo vet, a famous horse rider, a safari girl, a lion trainer, a "dino digger," a trainer at Sea World and one day get to visit Bindi in her treehouse in the jungle. She might learn a thing or two from you.

You don't look the other way like most people do. You are a fixer, a problem solver, a soother of broken hearts and sad moods. Don't ever lose that wonderful part of yourself. The world is going to need a whole lot of people like you to fix what we've managed to do to it in such a short, short time.

Happy birthday, my little hellion, may you love, learn and experience as much as you can possibly fit in during your 7th year.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Oooh, I'm first.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Just think -- seven more years and she's a teenager.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to a unique and special little girl. And thanks to her Mom too!

MP said...

:-)
She sounds so unique! I hope she keeps those special qualities about her too..we need more people like her in our world!

Lynne's Somewhat Invented Life said...

I came her from either your mom or your MIL's blog. This post is so sweet. I hope you print it out and save it so she will have it forever.

kristi said...

Very cute post! Happy birthday little one!

Unknown said...

Happy B-day Unruly! Lucky number seven!

Sona said...

You need to save this post in a scrapbook for when she's all grown up.