Dear Abby

Dear Abby
Hi.  It's me, your mom.  It's late at night, and I can't sleep.  I started to think about you.  I started to think about all of the time we have had together so far in this life.  You are 11 now.  You are growing up so fast - so fast that I am starting to miss you.  We have been through so many things - a main event happening when you were 2 and you were diagnosed with epilepsy.  No one would know it to look at you, and it's just part of all of the things that make you my Abby.
I miss when you were little and the way you said things.  You used to ask me if everything was "working".  If the TV was on you would ask "is it working?"  Everything from the TV to the hair band holding my pony tail, you wanted to know if it was working.  You always said your v's like b's and vice versa.  You would put your "glubs on the tavel"(gloves on the table)  You called water, "waller."  You liked to make up jokes that made no sense.  Knock Knock, who's there? Snake.  Snake Who?  Snake in the Waller (water).  You were crazy in a fun way.  Tyler was your best friend.  You played dress up and house, you watched Dora the Explorer.  Your favorite color was red.  You never cried.  You learned to read very early.  You wore Clifford jammies.  You had ni-night, your blanket.. ok, you still have "him".  We spent all day together most days.. and we have for all this time.  Now times are changing.
Now you ask me about life and love.  You have straightened out your speech and your b's and v's.  Your favorite things are writing and music.  You also love sports... and if you put your mind to it, you can do anything. You will keep trying until you get it.  Now when you dress up, it's for concerts at school or a talent show event.  Or maybe you are wearing your soccer uniform.  Your favorite colors change from day to day.  You are stubborn and feisty... but warm and loving too.  You know what you want.  And you see the world differently than most people your age.  It amazes me how insightful you are at only age 11.  We don't have as much time for just you and I - between your friends and activities and all the schedules of the day...and it has started to resonate with me that you are growing up.  Really.  Is it possible that this could be wonderful and painful at the same time?
It has been an honor to watch you grow from a child to an almost teenager.  But I'm having a hard time with this.  You won't understand until you have children of your own, just how much you mean to me.  Just how much I love you.  My mom used to tell me this, and I never really understood until tonight.  This very night.
As I sit here and reminisce, recalling you as a young child I think I would give anything to hold you again like I did when you were small.  When I hugged you goodnight tonight, I closed my eyes and imagined it was like it was long ago - and just for a minute I was there.  My prayer tonight is that God will give me the knowledge to know the right things to say and the patience to help you grow further, eventually into an amazing woman.  I think you are already off to a very good start.
I hope you know how truly beautiful you are inside and out.  I love you.

For those of you who know what I'm talking about..
Much love,
T♥