A Bundle of Myrrh

Today my beautiful niece turns 16.

This post is for her.

Boo Boo,

I just can’t believe how fast 16 years can seem to pass. 16 years ago I stood outside a hospital room with the family and a couple friends, waiting. I still remember the moment we heard your dad say “It’s a squirrel!” well, he said “girl” but I seem to remember some laughs over the “what did he say?”questions. Suddenly there you were in all your pink chubby cheeked glory. And we all fell in love!

I couldn’t believe how small you were. I measured your big toe. It was just the size of my thumbnail. I thought I would use that to mark it with so when you got to be a big girl and I held your toe up to my thumb we’d know exactly how much bigger you were getting.

I laugh when remembering the time you helped me make hot chocolate mix from scratch. You weren’t yet two but an expert and I was doing it all wrong. You gave me a stern expression and told me, “No, Abbah!” My friend Brenda called me “Abbah” for years after that.

And I remember you stretched out sleeping on the couch when you were three. You seemed so big to us then. Grandmere and I just stared at you and thought “One day she’ll be as long as this couch!” I suppose that day is here now isn’t it?

Do you remember the kindergarten field trip I took with you? How you wanted so badly to pet that animal (whatever it was I’ve forgotten that!) but were too shy and the other children were passing you for their turn. I was hoppin’ mad and afraid you were going to miss your chance! I grabbed your hand and made sure you got up front. A bold move for someone as shy as I was, but I couldn’t see you disappointed.

There are so many more memories of the last 16 years.

The endless fancy hair parties.

Reading your poetry, teaching you french.

You coming to NE and mowing the grass for the first time.

 And those times we drank whiskey together..wait that was iced tea.

You were always so good at making me laugh!

Once we watched a program about the planets. You must have been 4. When they got to “Uranus” you looked at me and asked, “What’s my anus?” That cracked me up!

And you’re still cracking me up!

I don’t know if I ever shared the poem I wrote about some conversations I had with you and Elle. I wrote it in one of my classes at UT. It’s a “concrete poem“. I think it captures the silly that you girls were.

Little Things

Laughing because the sun
is yellow and
the fence ate a road that tasted
like chair.

Dancing with dad, the prince,
and Cyclops.

Hiding unafraid because
no one can find them,
when they’re a couch.

Flying through dizzied air,
squealing,
smiling,
nieces.

You and your sister were the first little girls that I loved fiercely.

We didn’t realize it way back then but in little ways, you girls were preparing me to be a Mama (at least the fun parts of being a Mama!).

Y’all couldn’t wait for me to get married and have children of my own!

That dream of mine finally came true (oh how much Lily and Clara remind me of you and Elle!) But in coming true it took me far away from you and I’ve missed some big years, with big changes. We won’t play dress up or put on plays in your living room anymore, but I’ll always hold dear the times that we did….

There are so many more changes coming your way sweet girl. Some will be wonderful and thrilling, I can’t wait for those!

But some won’t be wonderful, some will be horrible and hard. There will be burdens and crosses that you may carry all your life. But you are God’s child, He has called you by name, in your baptism He made you His. And in those hard times He will sustain you.

When you think that all you can do is fail, have peace, He has won for you. When you feel He’s slipping away, He clings to you.  When all other promises are broken, His have been fulfilled. When you are confused, feel lost or when you hurt, He will direct your path, heal you and love you. When all you see is sin, you’ll be right. That’s all any of us have, but He has forgiven you and He sees Christ.

You are a treasure and a blessing.

Gentle, helpful and kind, with a smile that brings sunshine to a rainy day!

I love you Sara Jane and I’m so thankful for these 16 years of YOU!

Happy Birthday!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 15th, 2013 at 9:18 am and is filed under Birthdays, Family and Friends. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.