In The Double-Digits Now 🥳
Ten things for her tenth birthday.
I love lists. I am not above a list. I’m an Enneagram One and lists are my life. Even if I don’t have much to do, or I’ve already completed some of my tasks for the day, I will make a list of those tasks just to check them off. Heck, my first article for The Huffington Post was titled “To Celebrate Taylor Swift’s 25th Birthday, Here Are 25 Things to Love About Her.” We all love a good list, is what I’m saying. That’s why BuzzFeed is a thing.
Today, our oldest child and only daughter, Lucy, is ten years old. I could wax poetic about motherhood, forever caught in the swirl of how time is a bastard and all of that (because, oh my gosh, IT IS), but these here internets are pretty full of my sentimental thoughts already, so, instead, I’d like to celebrate ten ways our bright, shining girl brings joy to our family, in case you don’t know her. (Which is most of you, honestly. You have my condolences.)
Here we go!
1. She brings the snark.
Ever her parents’ child (especially her father’s) Lucy walks a tight line between humor and smart-assery, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t sometimes impressed. The kid knows how to deliver a zinger. Are we working on the importance of time and place? Yes. Are we quietly proud of how often Lucy hits her target? Also yes. I’ve probably watched too many episodes of Gilmore Girls with her, but if that’s a fatal flaw in my parenting then I don’t want to be right.
2. She’s an amazing big sister.
Lucy is going to make a top-notch babysitter one day. She fights with her brother like all siblings do, but she treats Theo like a person first and foremost. She teaches, encourages, and celebrates him so well, and I love to eavesdrop when they have little chats and think no one is listening. Her big-sister voice and his sweetly trusting replies? Bottle it up forever. (Or just hit record for posterity.)
3. She is always creating.
Whether she’s writing a book (a fantasy novel about warring lions, no less), drawing animals or sketches of her friends, or making outfits for her American Girl dolls, Lucy is always using her hands to bring her ideas to life. The amount of times this girl says, “Mom! Look what I made!” is infinity, and I grow more in awe of her by the day.
4. She’s a READER ♥️.
When I was pregnant with Lucy, my big prayer was that she would grow to love two things most of all: Jesus and books. Well, she’s choosing to be baptized in April and she’s read about 150 books this year, so okay, God, stop showing off! Seriously, though, Lucy has found which stories she loves to read and single-handedly keeps our children’s librarian busy. She takes a stack of books with her everywhere she goes, to the point that I’ve had to (with much pretend exasperation) tell her to limit the bag to five. She has no idea how much joy this brings me.
5. She (still) wants to be a zoologist.
Back in her toddler years, Lucy became obsessed with big cats, the cheetah especially. (Some of you might remember her unscripted podcast shorts, Animals with Lucy?) Since then, her love for animals of all types has only grown. She’s done two summer camps and a homeschool class at Zoo Atlanta, and her room is decorated with pages torn from National Geographic Kids. It’s such a joy to watch her continue to fall deeper in love with the things that move her soul.
6. She’s genuinely a good kid.
All kids are good, of course, even if they don’t behave that way, so when I say “good” I mean Lucy tries to make the spaces she’s in better than they were before she arrived. She has loads of confidence and a generous, tender heart. She’s honest, disciplined, and a whole lot of fun to be around. If she had been a kid in my class growing up, I would have been first in line to be her friend. Her name means “of the light” and with those long blond curls and sweet disposition, Lucy fits that description to a T.
7. She still wants to hang out with her mother.
God bless and keep her 🙏.
8. She is devoted to her friends.
I saw this first-hand at Lucy’s sleepover last week. When her two best friends—who don’t know each other outside of their connection with Lucy—talked about hanging out one weekend since they live just minutes from each other, Lucy’s response was to celebrate their budding friendship. She wants the best for the people she loves, even if that means she doesn’t get to see it. The three of them then giggled into the night with nary a (serious) argument to be found. Lucy has a low tolerance for drama (except for the storytelling kind) and she has cultivated sincere and loving friendships I pray will endure for years to come.
9. She asks hard questions.
We’ve never shied away from talking to Lucy about serious matters and she’s never been shy about asking. I have to be mindful not to tell too much because 1) I talk a lot, and 2) Lucy is mature for her age and I sometimes forget just how young she still is. Regardless, some of our best moments together have stemmed from her curiosity about the hard stuff in this world, and those conversations have paved the way for a lot of flourishing in our relationship. (May God erase all my stumbling replies from her memory and keep only the good stuff.)
10. She has a faith of her own.
Lucy has an instinctual emotional intelligence that can only be a gift from the Spirit. She’s quiet and steady in her faith, and I see glimpses of it at work in how she moves through the world, how she views other people, and how she cares for herself. Yes, Pierce and I have made it a top priority to disciple our children, but we do our best not to force the issue because we think it’s better for us to model, however imperfectly, what faith looks like than to simply push rules and doctrine on her. Sometimes, when I’m grabbing laundry or dishes from Lucy’s room, I’ll see her Bible open on her bed with a passage highlighted. Then my throat gets tight and my eyes do this funny thing where they well up with water??? Lucy still has the faith of a child, and I pray she always will.
I could always say more, but there you have it. Ten things to love about our sweet girl. Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, share a bit of wisdom you wish your ten-year-old self had known in the comments and I’ll read them with Lucy! 👇🏼
Happy 10th birthday, light of our life ✨. Being your mother is the best story I will ever tell.
Now let’s go get some doughnuts!