A Letter to My Four-Year-Old: You Are Special Just the Way You Are

Please forgive me for waxing sentimental in this post, but I just can't help myself. I hope all parents everywhere will glean a thing or two from this letter to my daughter, who turns four on the day that I'm writing this. Whether there's a special occasion or not, I believe that expressing our love for our children through letters is a wonderful thing to do.

Dear Rysse,

Happy birthday, sweetie! Gosh, how time has flown! You're already four years old - next year, you'll be five and officially a Kindergartner! It seems like only yesterday that I was pregnant with you, serving at Couples for Christ (CFC) Timor Leste's first Pro-Life Rally, along with your Papa, Kuya Tim, Lola Tita, Ninang Karen, and our "extended family" in Timor.

It was a busy day for me, because I was the event head. Your Lola still says that my going into labor in the evening of that day must have been brought about by my constant walking around the event venue to make sure everything was going smoothly. I remember ending the day very tired but happy, knowing that more Timorese people had been empowered to live out the Gospel of Life, and defend it if needed.

I remember, too, telling your Papa when we got home to our mission house-cum-office that my back was aching. I chalked it down to exhaustion and said I'd just sleep it off. But by 6 p.m., the pain seemed to be escalating so despite it still being bearable, I told your Papa that maybe we should go to the hospital, just in case.

When we got to the Guido Valadares National Hospital, the midwife checked me and your Papa and I were both surprised to learn that I was already 6cm dilated! Even the midwife was surprised - she was wondering how Mama was still able to bear the pain! (It was by God's grace alone, honey.) It's a good thing we had packed our hospital bag two days before!

You were born almost three hours later, naturally and normally. I remember crying tears of joy when you came out, just as I had cried when your Kuya was born. You latched on to my breast right after and I started singing your "theme song" to you - "Still" by Hillsong. I did the same thing for your Kuya Tim (his was "On Eagle's Wings) and for your little sister Anne ("Our God Is Greater") when she was born two months ago.

Like your Kuya Tim, you had to stay in the hospital because of jaundice. You were also treated for sepsis and a urinary tract infection, similar to Baby Anne. It seems you guys are really siblings in the truest sense, huh, even when it comes to your newborn "ailments"!

We left Timor for good a month before you turned one. The months prior to our departure found us travelling a lot, even to the mountains of Baucau, where we stayed in the homes of our Timorese brothers and sisters in CFC. I thank God that I was breastfeeding you then, because it made packing for our mission trips much easier - no need for any bottles and other equipment - though your Papa would still complain that I had packed too much for you and Kuya! Well, Mama just wanted to be sure you had all the "baon" you needed!

There would sometimes be no electricity where we stayed, nor indoor bathrooms. The water stored in containers in the outdoor bathrooms sometimes seemed to have "UFOs" - unidentified floating objects - so Mama chose to play it safe by not bathing you and Kuya, which is why I thank God again that there are such things as baby wipes and hand sanitizer!

Despite all those "discomforts," I still thank God for our time in Timor. Those were happy, less stressful days for us, and we were blessed to have a family away from family, in the persons of our CFC members. You and your Kuya were, and still are, loved very much by them!

Now that you're four, I just want you to know how special you are. You, your Kuya, and Baby Anne are each unique, with your own God-given talents, abilities and skills.

Your Papa and I are so grateful to God for how sweet and loving you are, especially towards your little sister. We thank Him, too, for how you show your Kuya you love him, and even "defend" him whenever Papa or Mama come down on him too hard.

I love that you are also always content to play by yourself when Kuya can't play with you, like when he's having lessons with Mama. You seldom complain about it, and are happy to be in your world of pretend play, where marbles become cookies, and even random pieces of plastic become your latest "gourmet creation."

I know sometimes Mama seems to pressure you to know your letters and numbers, and I'm sorry for that. I know you'll learn what you need to know when you're ready.

Actually, now that you're four, I don't know if I'm ready... ready to accept the fact that you're really a preschooler now...

Nor the fact that you're growing up quickly, and that you really don't mind at all, not even the littlest bit, whenever you're left with your Lolo and Lola, and stay at their home for two weeks or more...

Or that you can really participate in your Kindermusik class (something your Teacher Suzette is super happy about by the way), not needing Mama to accompany you or hold your hand...

And so many other things that make me swell with pride, tinged with just a bit of sorrow, knowing that these days will fly by much too quickly.

Before they do though, my sweet little princess, allow Mama to remind you again of how much we love you. Your Papa and I will always be here for you and your siblings.

More importantly, the Jesus you say is '"in your heart" will continue to be the Jesus who loves you and me and all of us unconditionally every single day of your life. May you grow into a woman after His heart, and discover the joy of loving and serving Him.

God bless you today and always, our dear little girl! Happy, happy birthday!

Love,

Mama

Do you write letters for your children too? I'd love to know! Write to me at tina@trulyrichmom.com or send me a Tweet @tinasrodriguez.