Early morning birthday girl.
Today she is nine.
Just yesterday she could fit in the crook of my arm, or fall asleep on my chest, mouth milky after feeding from my breast.
But today she in nine.
Now she is a person with hopes, fears, and dreams. Now, each day brings her new challenges and new successes.
Nine years disappeared in an instant. Will the next nine years move just as quickly? In another nine years she will be preparing to head off to new adventures. Perhaps college. Perhaps an adventure around the world. I already don’t want to let her go, and yet I know I have to.
I woke up with a song in my head. The song Nathan and I selected as our wedding song after seeing Jason Alexander perform it on television. I don’t know if this is the exact performance we saw, but I found it on video.
We danced to (a version of) “We Live on Borrowed Time” at our wedding, and it seems so fitting for today.
“Now we may have a year
Or we may have a lifetime
No one can be certain
What the future will allow
But you and I are here
And this time is the right time
Cause one thing that I know
Is that we have each other now “
Today she is nine and I’ve loved her forever.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 07:35:12
Simply beautiful, especially the last line. Yes, each year passes ever more quickly, as we must hold each year ever more open.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 07:37:40
Thanks Renee.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 08:00:38
Hopefully, she will get the chant of it’s my birthday out of her system before she get’s home.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 08:02:36
Don’t count on it. We are taking her out to eat, remember.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 08:07:57
Happy Birthday to the joyous child, may she grow free and happy (and not so wild); may she come back to you with open arms throughout, and may joyfulness be ever there, with no doubt.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 09:01:40
So sweet Stuart. Thank you.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 08:24:55
“Nine years disappeared in an instant. Will the next nine years move just as quickly?”
You bet. Actually the next nine years go faster because as teir own life expands your time together diminishes. You might as well kiss them good-bye when they open up and walk through the high school door.
But you’ve got the right idea, “This is the time, right now.”
Feb 15, 2012 @ 09:05:45
Sob! But I know that we have them so they can live wonderful lives, so I’ll appreciate the time now.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 08:29:14
She is a lovely little lady, and this beautiful love letter to her is equally precious. You speak from a mama’s heart for sure!
Feb 15, 2012 @ 09:05:01
Thanks Tori.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 08:33:26
Ouch, now my nose burns and my eyes are tearing up. Sweet though.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 09:04:42
Good reactions. Thanks Karen.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 08:42:20
Happy Birthday young lady!
Feb 15, 2012 @ 09:04:18
I’ll be sure she gets the message.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 08:46:01
9!! My little girl is 20 and it seems like both yesterday and a million years ago that she turned 9. Every year is the best, truly! Happy Birthday to you both!
Feb 15, 2012 @ 09:03:54
Thanks Julia.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 08:55:01
HAppy Birthday! Your post today was the perfect gift that she can hold on to and fully appreciate the older she gets!
Cheers,
Louise
Feb 15, 2012 @ 09:03:36
When I read it to her this morning, her only comment was, “I look like I’m lying down in the bottom picture.” Sigh. I’ll print it out so she can appreciate it later.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 09:38:39
Your daughter is beautiful, and I remember how talented she is. I wish her a very Happy Birthday.
And to you, Lisa: my daughter didn’t exactly appreciate the post I wrote in honor of her birthday either, but you know what? She will when she has a little one of her own. I know it. So will yours.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 09:44:42
I’m not really offended by her reaction, after all she is nine. And to her, its all about the pictures.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 09:50:10
Happy birthday to the beautiful girl! And to the sobbing mother, she will always be yours, you will always love each other and no one will ever be able to give her exactly what you do. This is what I tell myself daily about my girls.
Also, one day, she will drive herself around to her many activities so you can finally get some writing done. So you’ll have that going for you.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 10:09:59
Happy Birthday! She is really cute!
Feb 15, 2012 @ 10:39:09
BEAUTIFUL !!!
Tears are flowing down my cheeks soaking my shirt.
I remember the joy I felt holding her an hour or so after her birth.
You phrase it all so well!!
Say Happy Birthday from Grandma and Papa.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 12:14:11
I remember the smile on your face as you held her. It was wonderful to see.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 12:08:19
How di it become February? Let alone 9 years later? What’s up with that? Now that I actually have a clue of today’s date, I will have to do something online for Sarah. Stay tuned!
Feb 15, 2012 @ 12:14:49
I have no idea how it became February, and less about the nine years. Staying tuned . . .
Feb 15, 2012 @ 14:18:56
Aw, how sweet! Happy 9th birthday!
Feb 15, 2012 @ 14:43:43
Thanks Dana.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 14:22:53
Too sweet! I still can’t wrap my mind around my son being 9 and he’s almost 10. I still picture him as a toddler. Happy birthday to your daughter!
Feb 15, 2012 @ 14:43:31
Thanks. They grow up way too fast.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 14:39:05
All of the moments are “forever” moments. Nine is one shy of a decade. Nine is GIRL to us who have girls.. Nine escapes quickly, never looking back. Until she is fifty. There’s a thought! My fifty something only child girl looks back and fills in the blanks of my memoir where I have facts wrong. She tells me about parts I’ve written, from her side of the observations. All years of her life were not fabulous. But they were all mine. And all hers. Happy Birthday to your sweetheart girl!
Feb 15, 2012 @ 14:54:49
I love that she and I will always share a part of our stories together, even if she wanders far away.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 18:44:27
This was gorgeous, and so full of love. My daughter will be 17 in a few months, and she’s got a part-time job, school, after school clubs and friends… enjoy these times that you have now. The nines and tens and so on.
Each age brings something new to cherish
Feb 15, 2012 @ 19:35:17
Thank you and welcome Neeks.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 18:53:23
Happy Birthday, dear Sarah, from Sara and me–and Ralph and Lucy, also.
Hugs,
Kathy
Feb 15, 2012 @ 19:34:56
I gave her the message. Thanks.
Feb 15, 2012 @ 19:50:38
Happy Birthday to your daughter!
Feb 15, 2012 @ 19:53:04
Thank you.
Feb 16, 2012 @ 09:52:18
When we look at our kids, we are all left wondering where the years have gone! I agree with you, it seems only yesterday that they were babies, and suddenly you’re taking them to an airport and they are off – off, off and away! But I guess our job as parents is to give them wings. As long as we have spun their wings from the finest threads of love, they will be strong enough to fly.
Thank you for being one of my Followers! I just want to let you know that I have finally managed to fix the problem on my blog. If you open my home page and click on ‘Subscribe by email’ and fill in your details, you will now be notified of new posts. You won’t be unless you fill in that box!
PS You are right, the only way to start your novel is to start it and see where it takes you… Good luck with it.
Writing from the Edge
http://lorely-writingfromtheedge.blogspot.com/
Feb 16, 2012 @ 10:06:43
Thanks Lorely,
I love the image of spinning “their wings from the finest threads of love”. Thank you for that lovely comment. I will stop by your blog and get myself all registered.
Feb 16, 2012 @ 17:07:28
What a sweet and touching post. Happy Belated Birthday, Sarah!