It’s official—you’ve hit double digits. You are now closer to adulthood than you are to babydom. I recall being gutted last year when another mom said, “It’s half over,” meaning you’d be 18 in nine years. As you mark another year closer to that milestone, all I can say is WHERE’S THE PAUSE BUTTON?
Ten has marked a significant shift. So much about you is changing. Gone are the days of your personal aesthetic being rooted in rainbow everything and “the sparklier the better.” For the first time, your Christmas list included more clothes than toys, and most of your choices were graphic tees, baggy pants, and monochrome sets. You even opted for a more gender-neutral winter coat and (adorably) convinced me to buy your brother a matching one.
Too bad he clearly hated twinning with his big sis.
You also redid your room this year, swapping My Little Pony decals for Taylor Swift posters. You spend hours in there behind closed doors, though no door could block out the music you’re often blasting. These days, it’s the Wicked soundtrack with you singing along at full voice (both parts, of course). I always pause what I’m doing to listen as you drown out Elphaba on the last line of “Defying Gravity,” the anthem you also requested as your birthday shoutout song at your roller skating party this year. Watching you skate and sing your heart out to that song while waving your arms for emphasis and only falling once (ironically, to the line “And you can’t pull me down”) is something I will never forget.
Your party also included a sample of your wide friend group full of all different kinds of personalities—some shy, some outgoing, some you’ve had for years, some you’ve just made recently. You made everyone feel included, as you always do. Your ability to see the best in everyone makes people from all different walks of life become genuinely drawn to you. When I’m subbing at school, I’m known as “Libby’s Mom” and I couldn’t be more proud. One boy asked me to give him the answers to an assignment because he was your friend, and I told him if I did that for everyone who was your friend, the majority of the school would cheat nonstop.
In addition to being a great friend, you also continue to be fantastic at drawing. You’ve graduated from the plastic Fisher Price easel you dubbed “art show” to your very own desk in your room, where you’re constantly creating new characters, coming up with stories to illustrate, and growing as an artist. Thank God for online guided drawing tutorials because if you ever needed me to help you in this area, your education would end with stick figures.
You also got your braces off this year (which I think you’re happy about), started playing the trombone (which I think you’re still figuring out if you like or not), and went ice skating for the first time, which you loved aside from acquiring the most bizarre, heel-spanning blister I’ve ever seen. It started out looking like a third-degree burn and as it healed, began to resemble a cut of ham, inspiring the nickname “Ham Heel Libby.” It was simultaneously gross and super hilarious.
But even though they may hurt from time to time, I’m not going to stop you from trying new things. You are old enough now to experience a little bit of life and see what works for you and what doesn’t. And as you do, I will try to resist the urge to beg you to stop growing up.
After all, everyone deserves the chance to fly.
Love always,
Mum
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