Dear Maisie,
I love to watch you. You make joy look so easy. Ever since you were a baby, you just oozed joy. Singing yourself to sleep as a baby, singing always, waving your arms around dancing wildly, prancing around the house the world on your tip toes, laughing with your whole body. You constantly make me remember what it is to really be alive. Adults tend to forget. I forget. I get focused on something that doesn't matter, and forget to whirl around wildly. You remind me of this joy and I remind you on how to choose it when its not so easy to see. When you get grumpy about cleaning something up... we talk about attitude. How it's your choice to do a job or a chore with a positive attitude or a crappy one. Who's job is it to make your life amazing, your moments, your time? Not mine. Yours. Your life, your path, your choices. I am here, to help in any way, guide. Be the bad guy. Anything, but your it is your life, and your happiness. I can give you the most amazing opportunities possible but your attitude is what will make those experiences and your life the most rich. Already, easily you get it. You sing your way through school, happily helping in your classes, your teachers notice and comment on your attitude and your empathy and compassion with others. We talk about it, but nothing makes my momma heart feel more full than to hear those things. Your foundation will be and is built on love and vulnerability and compassion, understanding and choosing to see the world with an open heart. You make my heart feel a deep sense of knowing and peace. I feel you Maisie. I get you. We may not always agree, but there will always be this understanding and love. There will be tough times, hard choices. But you will make good choices, and if you make not so good choices, we can deal with that too. We can do hard things together. I can't do your life for you. I can't do the hard things for you {although sometimes I really want to}. But I can stand beside you, hold your hand. Be there for you.
Anything is possible my amazing creation. You are only 7, but wise beyond your years. Follow your joy, your passions, what makes your soul sing.
Read all the books, draw, sketch, paint all of the beauty, do all of the creating, sing yourself to sleep, care for your friends your community, the world. Be you. Like your dad always says "you just be Maisie". You just be you. ox
All my love, mom.
