A letter to my daughter on your 8th birthday

  • Save

To my darling E on your 8th birthday,

How did we even end up here? You are such a big girl now, with your long limbs, a strong sense of self, fantastic will, wit, and wisdom. How was it eight years ago today that you lay bleating on my chest, covered in blood, upon your entry into this world? It is just so hard to get my head around that this is your 8th birthday. It feels like only yesterday I brought you home, yet also another lifetime.

Your energy and zest for life continue to light up every room you walk into, with your kind, chatty, zany, smiley and social nature. Caught between being a dependant child and a strong, independent young lady, every time I hug you I want to eat you up and cherish these moments that I know are going to become fewer and farther between with every step you take towards your teenage years.

We have had plenty of big emotions this year – and boy what a year it has been! Still, three lockdowns later you have emerged stronger and more resilient than ever before. Every time I look at you and listen to your opinions I am swallowed up with the most intense sense of pride by your attitude to everyday life within this pandemic. I see the maturity (wait – you don’t like cartoons anymore???!) in you blossoming like a flower and it’s so bittersweet as you follow the path towards adolescence.

And let’s talk about your brain – which is literally on fire! Questions, so many questions, as you seek to further understand the world around you and the role that you will eventually play in it. You make me melt with your consideration, and being privy to your true thoughts and emotions is nothing less than an honour as you swing between self-confidence and self-doubt…sometimes it’s so hard to know which way things are going to go!

And guess what? You are really starting to look like one of those “big kids” we used to see coming home from school. Yes this is you! Every time I look at your face I can just imagine the young woman you are going to become – and it’s so exciting isn’t it? Hey, don’t worry. At least now on your 8th birthday puberty is still a couple of years away – phew! And as your body continues to change and grow, remember to always love and honour the incredible vessel that it is, its possibilities and everything it will become as it continues to evolve.

And so my darling child, happy 8th birthday to you. Whatever the next year brings, I know you will approach it with the beautiful blend of love, excitement, gratitude, enthusiasm, sense of adventure and creativity that you bring with you wherever you go. You continue to be my baby girl, my daughter, my friend, my teacher and my inspiration and I am so blessed that you are my gorgeous girl.

9 comments

  1. I have an 8 year old too and this is all so familiar, it’s so strange that she’s now one of the “big kids” on the way home from school! I’m loving seeing her become more independent too. #fortheloveofblog

  2. Awwww, this is lovely. It’s always so bittersweet isn’t it. In September Big starts secondary school and Little will be in Juniors. We won’t have ‘little’ kids anymore! #forhteloveofblog

  3. Awwww! What beautiful letter. In years to come, E will look back and just adore this. My eldest turned 9 this week and I have no idea where those last nine years have gone?! #fortheloveofblog

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.