This is it. The teenage years are upon us. As our firstborn, you have always paved the way into uncharted waters. We've gotten a glimpse of the teen years with Nyla, but we didn't go through ALL of the teen years with her. So, here goes nothing! We will start at 13, and by the end, you'll be nearly a grown adult. We hope it doesn't all go as fast as the previous phases, but somehow it probably will. We haven't figured out how to slow time down just yet, so we're buckled up and ready for this wild ride.
Thankfully, this past year has given us somewhat of the slowdown that we always wished for. We have gained back hours and days and weeks of quality time with you that we would've never had if life had continued on at its previous pace. And while there have been a lot of really hard moments we have chosen to hold onto and cherish the good memories. We've watched you take on one challenge after the next with maturity and positivity that amazes us. Your birthday last year was a complete disappointment. Your friend party was cancelled. The lockdown had just begun, so we didn't even get to have Grandpa and Grandma over to celebrate. And, it was still early enough in the pandemic that birthday parades and other unique celebrations weren't even a "thing" yet. When all was said and done, you were totally content with the low key day that it was. A month into the pandemic, we still didn't see any signs of normal life, but you were quite content with the small bubble of friends here on our street. A shift started to occur where you wanted to spend more time with the older kids and less time with the younger. You've been so fortunate to have great role models in kids like Nikko and Nyla. You admire them and they do such a great job of making you feel included and important. Brighton and Ruby were your absolute best buds throughout the entire summer. You three were inseparable and did just about everything together. As parents, we couldn't ask for two better kids to walk with you through this crazy year. You three balance each other out and bring out the best in one another.
This whole year has taught you a very valuable lesson about friendship and family. You've learned that it isn't the quantity of people you have in your life that matters, but the quality of the people. In turn, you've learned that the quality of your character matters as well. You've watched closely this year to what has happened in this world around you....from the handling of the pandemic to the BLM protests to the presidential debates/election and everything in between. Through it all, we are SO proud of the maturity and compassion that you've displayed. You definitely understand that the characteristics of kindness, grace, and selflessness should be at the core of all that we do. You've lived it out over and over again as you've watched so many others go against those core values. You've learned that you don't have to understand it all, but that you can still do your part to show understanding and love to others.
Naturally, we've hit some major rough patches throughout this tough year. And though it has been super challenging, we've seen you grow so much in your character that it's worth the headache and heartache of it all. It has been hard to adjust to life without tons of friends, sports, activities, and school. You are a child that thrives on routine and predictability. This year has been anything but that! The unknown is hard for you. And, while you've trusted our guidance through so much of this, you've still had a hard time adjusting to life being flipped upside down. Kids at your age are not meant to spend THIS much time without their friends, teachers, coaches, and so on. You're at the age where the influence of others is important. You need space from your parents and you do better when you get advice and counsel from other positive role models. It's all just part of this age. Naturally, that lack of space has led to a lot of head butting and conflict. It hasn't been easy, but it's provided countless opportunities for teachable moments. When the dust settles and the rollercoaster of emotions slows down, we are impressed by your willingness to apologize and own up to whatever wrongs need to be made right. This is a HUGE change that we've seen in you. As a younger child, your stubbornness kept you from ever admitting your wrongs. Oftentimes, it didn't seem to bother you if there was conflict or that you made someone upset. Your ability to show empathy and work through conflicts has grown by leaps and bounds. It's a work in progress, and you have a ways to go, but you've come SO far in the last year.
It wasn't just the extra time with Dad and Mom that was challenging. Not having school in its normal environment was hard. You shifted between so many modalities of learning this year and still did so well. Doing all of this while entering a phase of school that has its own set of challenges...junior high...is no small feat. Whether remote or in person, you rocked it! You made such an impression right off the bat with your teachers that we heard nothing but positive things at our November conferences. You even got selected as the 7th grade Academic All Star in social studies for the first trimester! Not having sports/activities was also especially tough. You've always loved playing sports and missed being part of a team and having competition. Thankfully, however, we did our best to incorporate that where we could. You've played countless hours of basketball with the neighbors. We dusted off our tennis rackets last fall and you found a new love for that sport. Our summer family fun included a lot of evening volleyball matches right in the back field or at the local sand volleyball courts. You enjoyed that so much that you went out on a limb and tried out for the volleyball team a few weeks ago and made it...all while dealing with the shame of an 8th grade bully who told you during gym class that you were the worst volleyball player ever. You proved him wrong and we were so proud of you for not letting some punk kid keep you down.
When you weren't spending time with sports, you were likely doing two of your other favorite things...video games or reading. Just to list those three as your favorite pastimes proves how well rounded of a kid you are. We absolutely love that about you! We've never wanted you to be a prodigy in any one area, but well rounded in many....and you certainly do that! It is such a joy to watch you find joy and passion in things. As you continue to grow, we know that those passions and your well rounded character will lead you to do great things. God is growing you into an amazing young man and we are so thankful that He entrusted us to guide you through this life. We will lean on Him through all of the ups and downs of these upcoming teen years and we pray that you will learn to lean on Him as well. We cannot wait to see how His plans for you unfold!
Love,
Dad and Mom
