Double Digits!

My beautiful,

10.  How is it already 10 years?  It feels like just yesterday I was snuggling my baby girl.  Looking at that dark brown hair and beautiful dark eyes.  And now you’re 10 years old.  I don’t think I’m ready for this.
 

You are a beautiful, sensitive, caring, loving young woman.   You asked me in the car the other night if someone can have too many friends.  As long as you treat them with respect and caring, you certainly can’t have too many friends.  And you treat everyone you meet with that respect.  So you have an abundance of friends. 

You make those friends with all your activities.  You are one busy lady.  Between school, Black Box, Girl Scouts, soccer and church you have ample opportunity to make new friends.  And you love all of your activities.  You are a great student and love school (although tests stress you out).  Your Black Box folks are more like family than friends.  In soccer you are growing stronger and more confident with each season - -last week you scored 2 goals!!  And in church you love to serve as acolyte or sing with us in the choir.

And you want to do more.  You started piano lessons, and some of my favorite times of day are when I get to listen to you practice.  You hear music in such an amazing way and make that flow from your voice and fingers it seems with ease.  You want to try out for travel soccer, you do plays at school as well as Black Box, and you go on runs with mommy (and on a regular basis beat her in whatever race we are running together).  You have a passion in you for just about everything you attempt.  And that passion is beautiful. 

You are growing up so quickly.  You want your hair long, and like to do it on your own.  You asked for your very own makeup kit for Christmas.  You would rather go on a sleepover with a friend than hang for a movie night with mom and dad.  You paint your nails and listen to pop music on your iPod.  You are no longer my baby girl. 

Just don’t grow up too fast.  Don’t forget how much I love you.  Don’t lose your passion for life (even though it can sometimes get in the way when things don’t go quite exactly as planned).  And remember, you are beautiful inside and out.