Happy Birthday, Dear Mia!



Yep, it is that time of year once again: Mia Emmeline turned 6 today!  I don't really know how to articulate how that fact makes me feel.  On one hand, it delights me every day that I see her as the big girl that she is.  She is smart and funny and she is always upbeat (except for when she isn't, but that's usually when she is tired).  Mia loves to sing and be silly, and nothing delights her more than music, it seems.  It is amazing to think back to where she came from, when she was a tiny preemie, to where she is, now.

On the other hand, thinking back like that makes me sad because I miss my baby Mia.  I delight in my little girl Mia, but baby Mia is still inside my heart, too.

So, I choose to ignore the pang that comes when I notice how capable and independent she is, and I choose to applaud her for getting to be such a big girl.  She has always been her own person, even in the hospital, and I think she is turning out wonderfully.  Watching her blossom is the best part of life, to me.

So, happy 6th, little pumpkin.  Tonight, we will celebrate at Bruno's with more people who love you.

(Click HERE for last year's entry)




Twenty-five random things about me (because this is my blog, damn it!)

1. I have an irrational need to always be “the good guy.” It is subconscious, so there’s not much I can do about it.
2. I would rather be real, though. That’s my struggle.
3. The closest thing I know is the love I feel for my daughter. Before she came, I didn’t really know what love is. I can’t say I’ve mastered it, but I know, now.
4. My favorite color is deep blue. It gives me peace.
5. I crave simplicity, but I make things complicated.
6. Inside, I feel today pretty much the same as I did when I was seven years old.
7. I have an auditory memory, so I can usually recall things said and music verbatim.
8. I have daring dreams, but have always felt selfish when I wanted to chase them. That might be the tiny tragedy of my life.
9. I really admire people who can write creatively.
10. I wish I could truly start fresh. That would be revolutionary in all parts of my life.
11. I have a terrible sense of time. I have about five watches, but I can’t accurately estimate how long things take, so I am often late.
12. I am attracted to Indian/Asian culture, for no apparent reason.
13. Spiders creep me out. I am not scared of them, but I impulsively try to kill them, despite knowing that they are good bugs. My excuse is that they supposedly crawl into people’s holes…
14. I also love peanut butter. I enjoy it by the spoonful pretty often.
15. When I was a kid, I liked science better than any other subject in school. That’s because my teacher mistakenly treated me as though I was good at it, so I became good at it. I like to be the good guy…
16. I was “agnostic” in college, but looking back I think it was mostly a put-on. I wanted to be different than I had been growing up. I always felt like God was with me and it would all be okay.
17. I really do want to live some different, better way than just working and spending. So far, though, that's a FAIL.
18. I wish I had a talent, like photography, or painting or sculpting or playing a musical instrument.
19. I used to want to be an actor because it is energizing and freeing--acting is hiding in full sight.
20. For someone who tries to be nice, I sure owe some great people apologies.
21. I am a terrible friend, once I am separated by daily routine or distance.
22. My favorite times have been spent with a good friend in good conversation. I am a kind of addict to the intensity of that kind of evening.
23. I minored in History, but had more hours in Philosophy when I graduated. I wish that kind of study had given me some answers.
24. I am a flibbertigibbet, but I am trying to be grounded.
25. I have slept through whole portions of my time on Earth; in a daze, I accidentally neglected people I love. I try hard every day, now, to be awake to what is around me. I often fail, though.
Life is as thin as a thread and as delicate as the petals of a yellow wildflower. And as precious.