Hannah

you had your 12 year old blessing in our community yesterday and the women among us sat around a circle with you to bless you and give you their wisdom. i wasn't allowed to attend because i have the wrong chromosomes but i still wanted to be sure to bless you and help you where i could.

i've learned a couple things in the 30 years that have gone by since my 12th birthday, only a couple of things mind you. first of all, know that you are loved. your parents adore you and the extended family that is the church community around us not only loves you but we also really like you. you are wonderful and you're going to be even more wonderful as you grow into the beautiful woman that you will be.

i want to mention something that i've been thinking about when i consider how to bless a young one who is starting out on the journey of adult life.

i want you to remember you as you are right now. that may sound a bit lame but trust me you'll thank me in 30 years when you look back at this time. remember the you that you are right now as you become the wonderful woman you are to become.

i think of myself at 12. that kid had everything laid out in front of him and he had mad skillz to do what he wanted to do. he was a dreamer who could and wanted to make his own life what he wanted to make of it. i sometimes lose touch with that kid now that i'm 42, i forget the dreamer that he was and i sometimes don't believe that i can do the sorts of things that i never questioned of myself when i was 12 ... i don't always remember what that kid was like. i get weighed down by responsibilities and fears about how change can affect me.

you at 12 have everything laid out in front of you. everything is possible and whatever you can dream up, you could do. you have the same mad skillz that i did and that woman of 42 will probably have pieces of paper that talk about your mad skillz but she may not remember all the actual mad skillz that are there. that woman may forget who you are right now, so you have to remember who you are now so that you don't get to a place that you forget any of that information.

seriously, remember the you that you are right now. that woman in 30 years will thank you for remembering.

and if i'm still around in 30 years, you're required to thank me for this gem. now you HAVE to remember.

wait, i just realized i'm actually 44. crap, now the whole analogy is shot (oh wait, no it isn't).

i love you Hannah.