Last Day as a Seven-Year-Old

My dearest Evie,

I have just finished reading you a chapter from your bedtime book and, as has been my custom on the evening of June 5th for the last 8 years, I am sitting down to write you a letter on the eve of your birth(day).  I imagine it won't be many more years that I'll be reading to you at bedtime, and so I treasure each evening that you want me there, snuggling and reading to you.  You get closer and closer to being at an age where you won't need me so much (that's already happening), but I am glad that you and I still have that bedtime ritual because it has been my favorite part of the day since you were born (even if I only get it half of the nights now because Daddy reads to you every other night).

Tonight as I was reading, the book had a scene where one of the characters is awkwardly confronted by the girl he has a crush on, and you covered your ears and said, "Oh no, skip this, skip this!  I can't stand awkward relations!"  This is definitely one of your quirks that I love.  Any time there is a awkward moment in a movie, if you have control of the remote, you will fast forward past it.  You do not enjoy seeing people in socially awkward or emotionally embarrassing situations, and I think that's pretty admirable of you because it shows you have a lot of empathy.  You yourself would be terribly embarrassed by some of the situations in these movies, and so you would rather not imagine yourself or someone else having to go through something so raw.

Another of your defining characteristics is your love of stories.  You enjoy creating stories and even just today asked me while we were waiting for our groceries to be brought out to the car if I would make up a story with you - you named three animals and were all set for them to have some kind of adventure together.  As a former theatre person, I appreciate your love of stories and storytelling because that's what theatre is, and there is so much to learn from a person's story.  You basically engage in some form of storytelling all day.  If you are in your room or in the bathtub, you have Alexa (the voice services robot, in case those things are obsolete by the time you read this and you don't remember) reading a story to you; or you are off watching TV or reading a book.  

Speaking of reading, this year you have done quite a bit of independent reading.  You still love to be read to, but you are a very capable reader yourself.  You especially love reading non-fiction books about animals and science.  You are very curious about how the world works, and especially about animal behavior.  The last few months you've mentioned wanting to become a vet, so we'll see if that's what ends up happening.

But you also say you want to be a ballerina or at least teach ballet on your off days.  You have really enjoyed ballet and tap this year and have gotten very good at both.  I love to watch how gracefully you hold your hands and how you seem to feel the mood of music perfectly when you start freestyle dancing.

To be fair, I am trying to think of something that is a challenge for you, but truly there's not much.  I think the thing that was the most challenging this year (aside from the global pandemic we are all challenged with!) was dealing with your classmates who are louder and more boisterous than you.  You have always been an old soul and more mature, and since you live with just two adults and no other kids, you're not exposed much to the chaos of childhood.  When you were in class with loud kids, it was a challenge for you to keep focused on your work, but I was so proud that you were able to work through those moments with Ms. Fennell's help and the help of some good noise-canceling headphones.  I know it was hard for you to be in that environment and feeling out of control, but you really steeled yourself and fought through the anxiety it seemed to be causing you, and that's not an easy feat.

Speaking of you being an old soul, I think that is certainly your most defining characteristic.  You have a way of understanding the world and your place in it that is almost uncanny.  You seem to easily see how things are interconnected, and you understand much more than I did at your age that people are in a certain place in life at this moment but that they haven't always been there.  You ask about what life what like when Grandma Jeanne was a girl, or you ask what we think life will be like for your kids or grandkids.  You amaze me with your insights and thoughtful questions.

This has been a year of loss, starting with Herbie in July, your Grampa in November, and Grandma Jeanne in January.  Then we've had this pandemic situation that has interrupted life for everyone.  Even in these unsettling incidents, you've been steady.  You may have had some changes to get used to, but for the most part you have taken them in stride, and you have told me that so long as we are together, we can get through it together.  Wise words.  And I couldn't wish for a better child to get through it together with.  You are the light of my life, the joy of each day.  Seven has been an amazing age, and I hope that eight will hold lots of new opportunities for you.

All of my love,

Mama