Blog a la Cart

Dearest Sunny,

Earlier this week, I walked into the kitchen and found you perched at the table among a forest of brightly colored and varied blooms. You had selected a meticulous variety of vases and vessels in which to hold these vibrant treasures, and had filled each one with flowers in every color of the rainbow.

With permission, you’ve taken to plucking flowers from around our property and creating elaborate arrangements or crowns with which to adorn our home and your head. Given that when asked, you continue to inform people that rainbow is your favorite color, it should come as no surprise that your fifth birthday party theme was RAINBOW and that our table is often covered in RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE and PURPLE (and yes, I do know how important the order of the rainbow is thanks to your constant reminders).

This particular afternoon was no exception.

I noticed that tucked between this rainbow of petals and vases were two rubber duckies placed side by side.

I casually asked you what you were up to, and you tensed slightly and explained:

Mama, my rubber duckies are getting married. It’s two girl duckies. But, mama, I know that a boy and a girl can get married. And a boy and a boy can get married. I promise that I’m not leaving anybody out, it just happens that both these duckies are girls.

And oh my heart, if that explanation, that moment, doesn’t capture the essence of who you are. I’m laid bare with a love and tenderness and respect so deep and so pure for the thoughtful, creative, kind, sensitive, sweet soul that you are and I have the pleasure of knowing and loving.

This year as been filled with moments such as this, and while I grapple with the magnitude of your fifth birthday, a milestone that seems almost too momentous for this mommy heart to bear, I am reminded of all the heart stoppingly beautiful moments that have been and all the gut-wrenchingly amazing moments that will be.

You are unapologetic, unprompted, and unfaltering in your declarations of love for your family. Above all else, I hope that you never lose that ability to tell the people that matter most in your life how much you love them.

I know that I’ll never stop telling you.

I love you, my Sun Bun, my Rainbow Kid, my Sunshine Girl.

You light up our lives.

Happiest Fifth Birthday.

143 Mama