Today is your eighth birthday! Happy birthday my big girl! I hope you have the most wonderful of days. Of course you will, because you have a wonderful, positive outlook on life, and you almost always look on the bright side of everything. For your age, you are very wise, very mature, and someone I admire greatly.
Why am I writing to you on here? Well, for posterity I suppose, and hopefully if this blog survives into the future, perhaps you'll find this and other posts about you and the rest of our family. And hopefully those memories will make you smile, knowing how loved you are, and how wonderful life can be.
My life is certainly better for having you in it. I have been looking at old photos recently, and found some showing your first birthday! I'll put one in of us together here.
Being a parent is not the easiest thing in the world, and as you know, your brothers do like to test their boundaries, bless them. I know sometimes I can be an angry and scary dad, especially if someone is being defiant. We have figuratively bashed heads on occasion, but very rarely, and you do respond very well to logic. I know things don't always seem fair, because I do expect more from you. But you deliver more, time and time again - you love and protect your brothers, you are a wonderful daughter who always loves a hug, and you just enjoy people. You are inquisitive, like to make a fun situation from everything, enjoy good food, like to push yourself, and love to learn. These attributes will take you far in life my dear girl.
In case you're wondering, when you do one day read this, no I didn't get your birthday wrong. I wrote all the above on the day, but only published it today (having to change computers to get the photo I wanted).
I guess if there's any piece of advice I can give you, it's to not focus too much on having things. I know you love your toys, but I am also glad to see that you're always the first to be ready to donate them too. Toys are fun yes, but as you find with your nono island game on pillows, or treasure hunt with bits of paper, the fun is what you make, not what you have. You have a vivid and wonderful imagination, so I encourage you to focus more on experiences than things, and on growth and learning, rather than having. Hey I'm not saying become a monk or anything - it is nice to have some treasured possesions; books you love (like my Steven Brust collection), toys you love (like some great Lego sets or your Baby Alive). If you inherit the Brown gypsy gene, you'll know what I mean about having too much stuff - moving around with a big household is a pain and expensive too. We have given away SO much stuff over the years it's amazing. It's nice to give, but it's probably smarter to perhaps not accumulate so much to begin with (I'm talking about me mainly here).
The other piece of advice is to always tell the truth, and mainly, always tell the truth to yourself about how you feel. Be very careful not to kid yourself, not to be too hard on yourself, and to make time for yourself, always. Yes, the mantra I tell you guys all the time: treat others the way you want to be treated, holds true always. But that includes you too! I'm not saying don't live a big life, especially when you're young. I'm just saying be careful, put yourself first, and choose to be happy, because remember, how you feel is always your choice.
That's probably enough rambling from me sweetie. I have other letters I have written to you electronically some time ago, so I might post them here sometime too. I do hope you find this blog one day, as if I get the chance to write down everything I want to, it will tell you a whole lot about your background. Because I am the youngest, there are so many people you won't get to meet in this life, like my dad, but I want you to know about them.
I love you Lala, and I always will. I'm so proud to be your dad, you make me a better person. See you in the next letter!
Dada
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