Its been thirteen years of school and to date, seventeen years of tears, laughter, runny noses, chicken pox, and sighing. She dons her cap and gown tomorrow for a walk down the aisle at baccalaureate and again next week for that final crossing the stage and pulling the tassel over to the right side of her cap. Declaring her a graduate.
When I first found myself pregnant with her, I swore up and down I didn't want to have another baby. Her sister was only fifteen months old and she was sick and had to go through surgery, but for me.. for my family, we don't believe in abortion and theres just no way I could bring a baby into this world and give them away.. so here she came. Kicking and screaming her way into my world, taking over our lives with a such a humorous persona.
She's the middle the child. The one that has the ability to make life heaven or hell and without much effort at all. At the worst of times she can make me burst into hysterical laughter. She has an amazing sense of humor and she's always there to pick things up or throw it down. Headstrong. Gifted. Intelligent. Knowing exactly where she's headed and how she's going to get there.
How have I ever managed to raise two girls so much like night and day and yet so tremendously amazing, I'll never know. I don't even need an answer to it either, its not truly questionable.
While her sister is an amazing mother to a gorgeous two month old boy and her life is mirroring my own, I am proud. This child will set out to make a different tread upon the path before her. College bound. Teaching those coming up and I have faith she'll be as amazing as she always has been.
I hope.. its early still, but I hope her brother follows in her footsteps with JROTC and that he too will shine in his own way.
My cup runneth over.
