A mother’s wishes

Last night I went to sleep the mother of a four year-old. This morning I woke up the mother of a five- year old.

I asked you what five felt like. You thought a moment and said, “it feels like four.” Congratulations. You’ve discovered the meaning of life about 30 years early.

I asked you what you wish you want to make this year that’s not a present. You said you wish that everyone in the world loves each other as much as they love their kids.

You live up to your name, my beautiful Sage.

Then I told you my secret, because I think that five is old enough to know it: My wishes are not about me. My wishes, I save for you and your sister.

I wish you remain the loving, honest, funny, wise, kind, compassionate person of integrity that you miraculously are today. I wish you remain the person with the strong moral compass who tells me solemnly when someone cuts in line.

I wish you remain the person who sobs uncontrollably when you think you have done something bad, not because you think you have disappointed us (or because I want you to cry), but because I think in your heart you know when you disappoint yourself.

I wish you remain the person who dances when the music stops, sings your own lyrics, and makes up your own 18 syllable words. I wish you remain the person who thinks every movie she sees is the very best one ever made. (It does make it a lot easy to find something to watch on a Saturday night.)

I wish you remain the person who takes care of your dolls as if it really, really matters. I wish you remain the person not afraid to one-up your dad with silly walks.

I wish you continue to hug with your entire body. I wish you never stop kissing me on the lips, even when your sister makes a face.

Most of all, I wish that forever you remain the five year-old Sage you are today. Because she is spectacular.

And, if I may, I wish that you never stop asking me questions like “Why are our heads so hard? Is that so we can hit them a lot of times?”

Happy fifth birthday my sweet girl. You make me whole in so many ways.

{31 Comments}

31 thoughts on “A mother’s wishes”

  1. Happy birthday to your Sage! Can’t believe she’s five – that means I’ve been reading your blog for over five years – wow!

  2. Sigh. I should have known before clicking over that I would cry. Beautifully written. Happy bday Sage!

  3. Wonderful wishes–I hope they come (stay?) true. I’m looking forward to my 4-year-old’s birthday. Just 2 months away, as she reminds me every day.

  4. Beautiful sentiments and wishes.

    You also gave me something to remember as my son too cries uncontrollably when he does something wrong, and you are so right–it is because he disappoints himself.

    Children are so amazing. Happy Birthday Sage!

  5. Why yes Sage! It is so I can hit is so many times! Happy Birthday, keep making the kinds of mistakes you learn from!

  6. Happy Birthday Sage! Liz, this was beautiful and filled me with so much emotion. I celebrated my 26th birthday on Wednesday and I found myself not wishing for myself anymore, but for the daughter that grows inside of me and will be born in September. I’m so not ready for the amount of love that my little girl will fill me with, but thank you for giving me a glimpse into what it will be like.

  7. Happy Birthday Sage! May the Mother’s Day Bunny (or it’s maybe a Kangaroo?) send your Mom a freeze ray so she can hold on to this day forever 🙂

  8. I read this post and honestly, 5 was so very long ago for my daughter who is graduating from Duke on Sunday. But, my wishes are much the same. Hope it works out as well for you and Sage (great name BTW) as it has for my daughters and me! Oh and my son, musn’t forget him. Happy bday and Happy Mothers day.

    1. Huge congrats to your daughter! One day Sage’ll be graduating college (eep) and I swear, I’ll remember this one time she turned five and a blogger talked about her college senior daughter, and how far away that seemed…

  9. What a beautiful post for a lovely daughter!
    My daughter just turned 9 months old. It’s funny how each month in the first year, seems just as important as annual birthdays.
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

  10. Happy birthday to the glorious Sage, an original from her hard head to her twinkle toes. And to her mother. We threw away the mold after you turned five, Liz.

  11. Seriously? Five already? It’s not my own kids growing up that is crazy to me, it’s the kids I’ve “known” since before they were born on the blogs I read that tells me time is a-flyin’. Happy Birthday to a sweet newly-minted 5 year old.

  12. What a beautiful post! I too share my wishes for my kids. To see things through their eyes really puts things in perspective. 🙂

  13. Such a sweetie. I adore the photo of you two. Happy Birthday to her….

    p.s. My son’s 5th brithday is today! They are close. 🙂

  14. Really beautiful article. Mothers usually have a lot in store that they wish for their kids, and you just laid it all on the table. By the way that photo with your daughter is really awesome. Thanks a lot for sharing.

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