An Open Letter to Holden on your Seventh Birthday

Holden, at just past 6pm this evening, you’ll officially be seven. Thanks for making me a Mom. 

I don’t want to tell you to stop growing up, because I am (doing my best) to enjoy the journey as it is happening.  And like a fine wine (apparently), you get better with age.

Things that you have enjoyed doing this past year:

• Starting sewing class – you gave up on patterns early and now primairly use the time to just come up with your own creations
• Playing baseball – coach pitch. You love to hit. (Playing defense is coming…)
• Getting into sports – finally you’re excited about attending a sports event with your Dad, and it’s not JUST about the Dippin’ Dots.
• Starting first grade – you are LOVING all the studies in zoology, geography, botany, history… I’m especially loving that you hold your teachers in such high regard. They are some seriously SMART women.
• Learning Spanish and German at school – you prefer German.

Things I am so appreciative about you:

• Your sense of humor. Holden, you make us laugh. You have been saying hilarious and insightful things since you started talking… which didn’t happen much until you turned three, and then the flood gates were opened!
• Your questions. Even though there’s been some hard ones (the physiology behind where Jesus came from is always one that comes to mind) and how you just have an indefatigable thirst for knowledge and answers that cannot be quenched.
• Your patience. You are so patient with Zoë. She looks up to you so much, and wants to be with you and like and is still convinced she is going to marry you. (I know you keep telling her it’s illegal, and eventually she’ll catch on).
• Your creativity. You still spend hours in your art room, making books and pictures – “video games” that actually require no electricity or internet – just our imagination. Or building cities, planets and entire worlds with Legos. I hope you never stop creating.
• Your heart. Hugging me, befriending those who need it. Saving the whales. #BlackLivesMatter, using “less petrol,” and on and on.
• Your Feminism. (Seriously, SO proud!) We saw ‘Taming of the Shrew’ and your biggest concern was how Petruchio was treating Katherina, “No man should treat his wife that way.” You ask questions about equality and bust gender norms (hello, amazing gold sparkle shoes). And you want to vote for Hillary Clinton. I chuckle as I write this because your future partner is a lucky person (also remember, no serious dating until college).

Things I hope for you:

•  That when the grown-ups ask "what do you want to be?" that you respond in one of to ways: “Happy,” or “I already am."
• That you’ll reconsider trying to grow a “fro” and embrace the power of the man-bun.

Happy Birthday Buddy.