My Little Seven Year Old

She’s away at horse camp right now, celebrating with her camp friends. I’d be willing to bet she’s the youngest one there. Letting her go was hard. After all, she still needs someone to cuddle her to sleep every night. And she comes to our bed if she wakes up. She wasn’t even going to have her sister with her as E chose adventure camp. But she insisted that she was ready and that she would be fine. So she went. If that picture is anything to go by, she’s doing great.

I know I’ll get a long, tight hug when she comes back. She’ll tell me all her stories and I’ll be riveted. She gets so animated when she speaks. Her voice, her face, her hands all do their part. She’s captivating. I’ve seen her talking to her teacher last year and it was obvious she was under V’s spell. I wish she wasn’t quite so shy. She shuts down when she see notices everyone watching her. We’re working on it. I’ve told her time and again that she could command a room if she wanted to. She’s so interesting, creative, and expressive. She makes quite lawyerly arguments, twisting logic into a pretzel. It’s impressive!

V, like a lot of kids, wants everything. To travel the world so she can see all the sunsets. To be president. And a gymnastics coach, an engineer, a teacher, a geologist… To have all the toys and all the desserts. To be seen, heard, loved. What I remember though, is her generosity. She readily shares her toys, gives the plushies on her backpack to kids in her class, will give a smile and her friendship to anyone who wants them. This child is all in, vulnerabilities and strengths right there in the open, her moods obvious to everyone.

Before she left for camp, V dreamt that the other campers were laughing at her and making jokes. I hugged her and told her that the counselors would make sure that didn’t happen. And that she would make friends right away. Still, I worried until I saw the pictures on the website, her smile just as bright and sunny as ever, the smallest one in the group. She’ll be just fine.

Happy birthday sweet girl! I love you.

About deuxsouriceaux

Creative mommy at home to two wonderful little girls, trying to juggle family, sewing, exercise, family, knitting, photography, and did I mention family?