Wise One

Today is my middle child's 4th birthday. She's sandwiched between her older sister and her younger brother, and I'm thinking she may be the best one for the job. If my intuitions are correct, I think she'll be the glue that holds them all together.

She is fun and creative and loves to play with her big sister. And she's also silly and active, which makes her well-suited to play and run around with her little brother. On top of it all she is incredibly intuitive, sensitive and expressive, traits that will serve her well as both a younger and an older sibling. She's the only one in the family with both jobs, and I think she's up to the task.

The older my daughter gets, the more I see her colors brightening. She has had to live in the shadow of an older sibling, which has taken it's toll on her throughout the years. She was slow to make friends, since she had one built in right next to her all along. Not to mention all the friends that came along with her big sister, whose names and faces she knew long before she ever made friends her own age.

She was, and still is, slow to make conversation with others because she has had someone else to speak for her all these years. It has only been this past year or two in preschool, when her sister was no longer there, that she has been able to come out of her shell and enjoy making friends and playing along with kids her own age.

All along her spirit has been shining bright. If you didn't know her you might have missed it. She's shy to make eye contact and you'd probably just think she's cute and quiet. But it's in there. A beautiful glowing spirit that you see when you look into her eyes. When I look into her eyes I can feel it.

It's a selfless love and caring for others, fueled by a growing pride in herself. The more of the world that she learns to negotiate, and the more knowledge she gains, the more that pride grows. And I try to feed it every opportunity I can because I know it's still hungry.

She is our sweet little love bug. The one that still loves to cuddle and seek comfort in mommy's arms. The little girl that can turn from tears to laughter in a heartbeat. She is full of passion and not afraid to show it, when she's in her comfort zone that is.

And she's my child that never ceases to stop reminding me so much of me. Not just in the way she looks, which if you ask me is almost a spitting image, but in the way she behaves and negotiates her way through the world. Her compassion and empathy, her moodiness, her love of silliness. I hope she keeps it all and takes it further than me as she journeys through life.

Her name means "wise". Which I think is very appropriate. She truly is wise. One of the definitions of wise is having the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting. I see a big difference between that and being "smart". Even at just four years old, I can see this trait starting to form in her perceptiveness and keen observations. I hope it holds true.

My little love, here's my birthday wish for you. May you always feel so deeply, run so quickly, and have the freedom to act so silly.