Tomorrow you will be 15 years old. Where did the years go?
As the daughter of my favorite cousin, you are my favorite 2nd cousin. (Shared sweet spot with your brother, of course).
You were born so beautiful, that we all thought you had to belong to somebody else. Amazingly, you get more beautiful each year, so now we are certain you were delivered to the wrong family. But, no one noticed thus far, so after careful consideration, we've agreed to just keep quiet and keep you.
Not that you're perfect...oh, no...not by a long shot. You ruined several sets of furniture as a baby, pretending not to like milk. You wailed and skillfully mastered drama skills way before you could say "drama". You learned to give that look, yeah, you know the one, because you somehow knew before the rest of us that 'Facetime' was coming and you'd need a memorable mugshot to message with. And you knew just when to wipe a chocolate ice cream bar down the front of my white T-shirt, that day at the flea market, KNOWING my OCD would mean halting that particular excursion and go where you wanted to go. You were 7 years old.
I forgive you all of these childhood crimes - except maybe the ice cream thing.
Now, at 15, you're so tall and elegant and polished and make us all so proud. And you play tennis and do well in school and have a wonderful sense of style. And that Hair! You're even a nice person, kind, considerate and generous. See?...you are not really related to 'us', are you?
So, here's what I'd like you to remember from your year #15...that to forget is sometimes better than to remember. That good enough is just that - good enough. The tenacity outweighs talent. That being interested is far more important than being interesting. And that it's nice to be important, but it's much more important to be nice.
To enjoy your youth, try the best you can to banish self doubt (you'll have loads of time for that in your 30's), to smile, because it's true about the 'lines that stick in your face', and to look people in the eye when you speak to them. (Which for you is extra critical, because you want people to see your eyes and wonder of their beauty!)
And DO speak to people. In this day of machines and technology, it is a lost art and I think those who know how to communicate will be the leaders and the loved ones of our future.
Lucky you, Lacey, for you are a loved, a dearly loved girl of the present. This is my present to you.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LACEY!
Lori
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