Still smiling

It still blows my mind that this:

Has the ability to become this:

From the baby who was born smiling, to the seven year-old who still does it every chance she gets.

We joke, Thalia, that you could never be an actress because you can’t deliver a single line, no matter how dramatic or serious or awful without those beautiful lips of yours curling upward into a smile. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thank you. For being you. For still reaching for my hand when we cross the street. For arguing with your sister about who gets to sit next to me at dinner. For your resilience. For your love of homework. For your remarkable sense of empathy. For being good company. For singing off-tune with all your heart. For celebrating the joy of spinning. For loving the cats–even the stinky one. For your stories, your poems, and your artwork. For saying “you’re the best mom in the whole wide world” even when I haven’t given you something made out of chocolate. For your absolutely terrible jokes.

Thank you for making me a mother.  For teaching me more in seven years than I probably learned in the first 35 years combined. And of course, for those wonderful smiles.

You say you want to stay seven forever, that it’s your lucky number.  And I might like it that way. But something tells me the best is still yet to come.

Happy birthday Thal. I couldn’t love you more.

{21 Comments}

21 thoughts on “Still smiling”

  1. Happiest of days to you both.

    Also, the part about her smile is probably going to send hundreds of lips curling upward today.

  2. Thank you for the privilege of being the mother and grandmother. If I ever wondered who is the teacher and who is the student, I’ve long since known that I’m the one who’s learning every day from each of you. Happy birthday, Thalia April. (And Happy Birthday, Frida Kahlo.)

  3. It never becomes believable! Have three boys so they tower over me, hard to believe there was a time they all sat on my lap/in my arms at once. Enjoy!!

  4. Happy Birthday wishes from Australia!
    Thalia, your mum (sorry Mom!) is right – you have the most beautiful smile. I hope you find something wonderful to smile about every single day.

  5. Hey, am I too late? Happy! Happy! Birthday Thalia!, a beautiful child indeed! Sorry my comment is full of exclamation points.

  6. Even my heart is smiling!
    Your gratitude is beautiful!
    My life also changed 7 years ago in a way I never thought possible.
    It is truly an honor and a privilege to be a part of her life. And yours.
    Thank you beautiful Thalia for your love and your lessons. Never stop being exactly who you are. You are perfect exactly the way you are.
    Thank you for 7 years of complete joy.
    I love you so,
    Grammye

  7. So sweet! Happy birthday, Thalia. My baby is only 6 months old, and I already feel like the time is flying by. It’s nice to think someday your daughter might log on to whatever kind of computorial contraption they’ll have in the future (brainchip? yikes) and see these lovely wishes written by her mother.

    1. I love hearing about 6 month olds. I started writing this blog when Thalia was that age. And YES it goes fast!

  8. The morph is amazing, isn’t it? She’s lovely. Happy birthday to your not-so-little one. 🙂

  9. a smiley new yorker, she should definitely represent my favorite city that gets a bad rap for being unfriendly.

    happy birthday, thalia!

    1. New York is one of the friendliest towns on the planet. We’re just busy!
      Ask a NYer sometime for directions…she’ll end up walking you there.

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