Dear Goose:

Happy birthday to my sunshine, my Mini-Me, the sweetest girl I know. I don’t know where the time has gone, but today you are 10. We will celebrate all your growth and achievements and the way you are becoming such an amazing girl. When I look at you I’m in awe of how strong you are, while maintaining your kind and gentle outlook on life.

From the moment you wake up, with a smile on your face, you bring joy to all of those around you. Even when you are facing tough situations, you draw on your inner strength to find the positives. It’s contagious, never failing to infect your family and friends. You make the world around you a better place. It brings me happiness to see how your kind heart continues to lead you everyday; whether it be softly talking to someone who has no one to talk to or helping friends and classmates when they are in need, you are there for friends and strangers. I think this is amazing.

Karate continues to be your passion. You approach each class, lesson, and practice the same way: you work hard. Every day, you get better. This year you were the victim of the calendar, meaning that you’ve basically spent the entire year at the same belt rank. You never once felt sorry for yourself, or tried to take a step back from karate because you had time. You doubled down and worked harder, knowing that this was an opportunity for you to become an even better martial artist. As a result, you are. You’re going to kick butt when you next test. You’re also putting yourself way out of your comfort zone by assisting in classes. Watching you do this fills me with pride every time.

You continue to love math, explore the world around you through science, and get lost in the many worlds you’ve discovered through reading. It’s fun to go on these journeys with you, watching you learn new things and having you teach me a few. I expect that your world will keep expanding as long as you keep diving into these spheres. I cannot wait to go on that ride with you.

Wishing my sweet girl the happiest of birthdays. I hope this year is the best yet!

All my love,
mama

a year of goose