When you become a parent, everyone tells you it goes by fast. I just never realized that kids grow up faster than a trip with Marty McFly in the DeLorean.
I woke up this morning with an ache in my heart…my oldest turns 11 today. She’s in full-blown tween mode but I couldn’t help to think about what is on the horizon: dances, dates, driving, prom, graduation. Ok I know I am getting ahead of myself but just yesterday, she was a squishy little baby.
Every year on her birthday, I give my sweet Gia a list of advice to carry her through the year…and honestly I love watching her reaction when she thinks my “advice” is her present.
On your 11th birthday, here are 12 (one for good luck) pieces of life advice for you:
- You are loved more than you will ever be able to comprehend.
- Beautiful people are not always good. But good people are always beautiful.
- Don’t talk badly about people. Even if you “think” they gave you good reason to. Don’t. It gets messy.
- Use your library card every week. For books (just in case that wasn’t clear).
- Help others. But don’t publicize or brag about it.
- You may start entering the “awkward stage” of life. Ya know, acne and getting food stuck in your braces. Try to find the humor in it all…and remember when I was your age, I had a bowl cut and bottle-cap glasses. Things can always be worse 😉
- What makes you different, makes you great.
- Never act mean to fit in. That’s not the crowd you want to be in anyway.
- Tell me the truth and I won’t get mad.
- Stop with the staged pictures and all of the posing. Can you see my eye-roll? Live in the moment with your friends. Nobody is fooling anyone with the “pretend that I don’t notice the camera” shot.
- A pint of Tonight Dough by Ben & Jerry’s can solve everything.
- On your brightest mornings and on your darkest nights, I will always believe in you. Always.