Dear my precious five year old

Dear my precious five year old,

It's your birthday so it is time to write you another letter.  I am struggling to get my head around the fact that it is five years since you tumbled into the world and turned everything down-side up! This has been a whirlwind year for us all, not least of all because you have started school and this seems to have made you grow up SO much. I am very proud of the beautiful young girl you are growing into and very proud of how hard you work at school. I knew you would love the challenge and love it you do.

I think you get frustrated that school eats into the time you would like to be playing, you sometimes tell me you would like to go back to nursery so you can "just play" but I know that you are learning new stuff all the time and together we will find the joy in learning.

You are very much into everything "girly", you love all things pink and sparkly and twirly and pretty. Mummy has struggled with this at times, I am not girly at all and I sometimes feel out of my depth helping you find your identity in all of that, but you and I make a good team and we are getting there together.

I am learning that although you are a confident child in lots of situations you are a sensitive wee soul and you need lots of reassurance from me. I am sorry it took me so long to cotton onto that but I hope and pray we are getting there together now. I love to sit and read a book with you, to have you tell a story, to colour a picture or just to have you sit on my knee and I am learning that these things are especially important to you, too.

You continue to have more energy than I possibly know what to do with! I am sure you steal it from me as I cannot fathom where you else you could be getting it from. I love to watch you run and climb and tumble and jump; the dances that you make up at home are beautiful,  your body is strong and I pray that it will stay that way and you will love it.

You are an amazingly good big sister, I love watching you play with your sisters, I especially love it now that Miriam is old enough to join in your games. You always have a scenario to play or to act or create. I anticipate you will be very good at drama, you certainly made a good inn keeper in your nativity this last Christmas.

If you don't end up an actress I could see you being an artist. If there is glue to be stuck, paint to be flung or pictures to be coloured, there I will find you. I think you favourite way to be is up to your elbows in PVA with a sequin stuck to your eyebrow. I am sorry that Mummy doesn't let you do it more, I realise it is my problem, I really do find it hard but you love it and I can see you are ever so good at it.

One of the most daunting tasks I have ever undertaken is helping you grow into a well adjusted, contented, beautiful human being but I am having lots of fun while we try and do it together. I love you baby girl and even though you are not a baby you will FOREVER be my baby and I will love you always with all my heart.

My prayer for you this year is that you would get to know Jesus more, I love hearing all you know about God and Jesus and love hearing your prayers and am excited to see you develop a real, meaningful relationship with Him. However much I love you, Jesus loves you more and I am excited to see what you and God can do together, to discover the plans Jesus has for your life and what you can do for Him.

I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (The Message)