Officially Twelve...

The one who made me a mother for the very first time has turned 12, and I can hardly believe it.  We celebrated last Saturday, but today I told her her birth story, which is fresher for me than those of my other children.  Maybe it is because I spent weeks after her birth gazing at her, watching her sleep and reliving every moment of her birth, and all the moments before and after.

She was such an easy baby and child...never went through the "Terrible Twos" (although she had a bit of a sassy period at the age of four), never had to be taken out of Mass, and showed enthusiasm for school at an early age.  And at this threshold age she remains a wonderful person, ever ready to offer her assistance, bright, witty, diligent, self-possessing, beautiful.  Her brothers all love and respect her (even if they accuse her now and then of being bossy!), and to her baby sister she is a second mother.  Her most read books are The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings and A Philidelphia Catholic in King James' Court (she also reads through Catholicism and Fundamentalism regularly.  She loves St. Therese of Lisieux, "cookies & cream" ice cream, Celtic and Bluegrass music and the old TV series Green Acres.  She was always pleasant company, but she is so much fun to be with now--well, with the exception of when she is slogging through her algebra...

I cannot think about her growing up.  As lovely as it is to see her blossom, I dread her going away one day, as she brings such sunshine and laughter into my life.  I knew from the moment she was born that she had the power to bring joy to my heart or to break it like no one else, and when she was two weeks old I wept because one day she would leave me.  That day draws ever nearer.  But in the meantime, I just try to enjoy every minute of her presence.

My lovely Una...you have no idea how I cherish you.  Happy, happy birthday my beautiful girl!