Happy happy birthday, Baby!

My Middle Child turns 17 today. This is pretty unbelievable to me, as she was only born a few years ago. My small pink cherub, my little lamb, the baby that looked to me like a rosebud more than anything, is now an almost adult.

 

When she was little, MC was my pal. She was so bright and funny, such a ray of sunshine, and I was the center of her world.

The past few years? Not so much. Adolescence has hit hard, and as much as I've tried to make light of it, especially on this blog, it's been a long and bumpy road for us. I once heard it theorized that girls who are very close to their mothers in childhood tend to push harder against them in the teenaged years, in preparation for the separation necessary for adulthood. Maybe this is true, maybe not, but it has definitely been challenging, helping her prepare for what is ahead of her.

The funny thing about being a mom is the momvision. I know that any mom will back me up on this, but when a mother looks at her child, she sees the person, but she also sees every incarnation of that person, from birth on. Not to say it's not sometimes maddening for the child, to feel that someone is looking through you, and not at you, but that's not it. I see her.We see our kids. We just see them for who they were, who they are, and who they can and might be in the future.

 

So when I see her, I see the sweet funny baby, the bright and intelligent child, the rebel, the artist, the science fiction lover. I see the young woman she is now, and all the possibilities in front of her. 

 

Happy birthday, my girl. I see you, I love you, and I hope this birthday is the best one yet.