Happy B’day Girlie – On completing the last of the pre-teen years!

Dear Meg,

You turn 12 today. This morning as I walked into your room to wish you a happy b’day I saw sleeping in bed a beautiful girl who reminded me of a 9 pound baby born this day 12 years ago. You had a head full of hair and a calm face. You took the next few weeks in your stride as I drove the household crazy with my innumerable infections and trips to the hospital. You calmly accompanied me and spent the first few weeks of your life in the hospital while I was nursing myself back to health. You were the cynosure of all the nurses eyes in the hospital and they never failed to stop by to play with you. You took the bottle that grandma fed you with little fuss and made raising a newborn seem like a piece of cake.

Soon appa & I realized that you had a mind of your own when it came to food. You made your choices and stuck with it. Life with you was a breeze except for mealtimes and believe it or not you are still that way. They say that eating slow is the key to not adding weight and that seems to be true in your case for sure. Maybe instead of yelling at you for not finishing your food quickly I should eat each meal as long as you do. That would for sure make life intesresting. We would get little else accomplished Buyou will either t it was a pleasure watching you enjoy and try different foods on our recent vacation. And you always have space for anything chocolate placed in front of you. Watching you spend hours watching the Next Food Network Star makes me want to believe that some day you will either be a good cook or a food enthusiast who loves to try new foods…

You were an easy going kid and had no stranger anxiety. Appa and I loved the last minute decision we made to take you with us to Austria. We were both driving back from work to leave for our trip and somewhere along the way we looked at each other and knew what was on each others mind. We both knew we couldn’t leave you behind for a whole week. Just as we reached home, we let thatha & patti know that we were taking you along with us, we threw a suitcase together with your diapers and clothes 3 hours before our flight was scheduled to take off, bought your ticket at the check-in counter, bought your baby food at the London airport and had the most wonderful week as a family. Everyone at Appa’s conference loved you and we were the proud parents flaunting you to one and all. Looking back that was one of the best impromptu decisions Appa & I made

I will never forget the time I sent you to India with thatha and patti. I know you had fun spending time with them all in India but it devastated me when you failed to recognize me 2 months later. You taught me an important lesson. Never send you or Raul away from me for as long as I have the choice. Many a times patti would offer to take you home with her but after that one time, it was not even an option. I just wanted you to have the best care till I was comfortable sending you to the day care and if that meant sending you with thatha and patti for two months, I naively thought it wasn’t such a big deal. But when I saw you at the airport and realized that to you I was all but a stranger, the feeling in the pit of my stomach is one that will haunt me for the rest of my life as will the sight of you in tears when Appa and I left you at the day care on that very first day. The sight of those two moments are indelibly etched in memory and will accompany me to my grave.

Today, you’ve changed all of that. You give me all the love in the world and make me feel like the most important person. There is never a night when you forget to come to my room to kiss me goodnight. I often tell patti and my friends that Appa has so much trust in me that he never thinks to call me when I am out of the house. Not you. You like to know exactly where I am and will call me even if I get a little delayed in coming home. Patti often tells me that it is wonderful to have a daughter since she is the one who always cares and is there to think of mom and dad at any stage in life. I truly couldn’t agree more. You are gentle and loving to everyone (except your brother at times ) You are conscientious with your work and never have to be reminded of your school work. You are extremely creative — something that you didn’t get from either amma or appa. You understand my sarcasm and easily smile away when I tease you endlessly. Someday when you read this I hope you know that appa & I think you are a lovely daughter and we are truly blessed to have you in our life.

When you wonder why you don’t have my eyes or feet like mine, I wish there was a way I could just give them to you. Someone told me last week that your voice sounded just like mine on the phone and that brought a smile to my face. A good friend told me last week that she has seen many kids your age and thinks you are a lovely girl. I honestly can’t take any credit for that. I know how much you want a cell phone but you have never bugged me to get you one in spite of most of your friends owning one. You calmly asked me a few days back if you could have one before you started high school and I couldn’t help but feel proud of you.

As you complete 12 years and step into your teen years today, I want to wish you a lovely birthday. I know you want to be as tall as amma and I pray that you grow much taller than amma just like you effortlessly grew out of my shoe size. I have no doubts you will be a gorgeous girl and do us all proud. Just remember to keep your room clean and treat your brother nicely at all times I know that the rough years are on their way (I can already see glimpses…) and am counting on you to help me get through them with you not fighting me all the way!!!

Happy b’day darling!!

Love,

Amma