Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall {A birthday letter}

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In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, this is a significant age as they can now choose to be baptized. My baby, my first born, the one who turned me into a mom, has decided to make this choice and Saturday will be baptized. My heart couldn’t be more full this week, and today as I think back over her 8 years of life.

Dear Princess V, 

I’m sitting here at home, thinking of your 8 years of life.  As we move from Summer to Fall, I can’t help but compare it to this specific time in your life.  

When I think of summer, I think vacation! It’s the time of year we do more as a family. The weather is warm, and more time is spent being carefree. Schedules are rare, and we figure it out as we go. It’s also a time when I like to fit in our doctors and dentist appointments. I also sneak in learning lessons to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything from the previous school year. 

As summer changes to fall, we leave those carefree days behind. School begins again, and life is more structured. We must schedule our time better, and follow more rules. As we spend more time around others we also must learn social cues, how to be kind, and to control our emotions. Although life may seem to get more complicated in the fall, it is also a beautiful season – and my favorite.  

Summer is like your first 8 years of life. You are on a bit of vacation per se. Life is warm and sunny, and we are carefree. Of course I have done my best to sneak in life lessons with our daily activities. I began reading to you at birth, and we went almost straight from the hospital to church. These were things I wanted you to learn the importance of, but without stress. 

Now as you turn 8, it is as if fall has come in your life. As you’ve chosen to be baptized, you are choosing to take on more responsibility. You are telling Heavenly Father this week that you are ready to take on more responsibility. No longer carefree, your decisions and actions have consequences. Just as fall is a more complicated season, your life will slowly become more complicated. You are now old enough, as we say, to be “accountable” for your choices. 

So my dear child, I ask you –

choose goodness 

choose kind words

choose love over anger

choose to be an example to your little sisters and brother 

choose God

choose to find the good

And finally remember this, life may get tough, and the weather may turn cold, but it’s still beautiful just like the changing of the leaves. Now is a time for you to start fresh and really choose who you want to be. 

All my love and more,
Mom