my baby girl is SWEET SIXTEEN today! but she is so much more than that… she is hilarious and ferocious and silly and unpredictable and empathetic and giant-hearted and completely OUT OF THE BOX. i am continually flabbergasted by her because my natural state is pretty deep IN the box. i follow rules and recipes and traditions and norms and google maps and i keep lists and agendas and spreadsheets and plans. that’s not really how she operates. and after SIXTEEN years of living with her, i am just beginning to understand that. it’s not like she hasn’t been clear her entire life… she’s always expressed herself. i have just been slow to recognize that my organized, efficient, strategic and “traditional” (boring?) path is not the one she’s on. hers is much more exciting and curvy and creative and i’m finally realizing that i’ve just got to let her go and hope that every once and a while she will need a water break and i will be able catch up with her for a bit.
(WHY i ever expected this girl to be a rule follower i’ll never know!)
(i tend toward the “less is more” end of the spectrum, but lu has always believed that “MORE is more!”)
(sometimes she takes a break… often it is with hank!)
(a sweetie girl with her grandparents… grandpa at cesar…)
(having tea with grandma…)
(with oma this thanksgiving)
(she ADORES her brother…)
(and her dad…)
(and of course, her bestie, ella!)
she’s had quite a time since her last birthday… she fully embraced berkeley high (my alma mater - JUICE THE JACKETS!) and danced on the hip hop team as a freshman. she also played club volleyball with the golden bears. as a sophomore, she made the teen hip hop company of destiny arts and danced at the “no kings march” and a WARRIORS game with them. she makes crazy ramen combinations and complicated, interesting green salads. she sometimes cleans up. she has found all the yummy places to eat in the bay area - both the places i grew up going to and loads of new ones. she introduces me to all kinds of slang (that makes no sense) and encourages me to watch shows that scare me like squid games and vampire shows. she got all four wisdom teeth pulled out and a little nose diamond put in. she worked as a CIT at the camp she used to attend and sometimes gets paid to babysit other people’s children. all of it, honestly, blows my mind.
(after the warriors game in front of the stadium)
(lucy found yoghurt park right away… one of my childhood favorites!)
i can’t believe that the girl who was literally on my hip for YEARS, twirling my hair and sucking her fingers, can take the bus (PRAISE JESUS she can’t drive… yet!) and do her laundry and prepare food that even i will try (if it’s not too spicy) and negotiate with teachers (and her grandma!) and try intimidating things and generally just figure things out on her OWN. i’m so PROUD of her. and i’m so excited to see what new adventures she will go on. but i have to take a lot of deep breaths so i can get out of the box. HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY my darling babela bu! i love you higher than the sky is high and deeper than the ocean is deep! x0x0xxx
