My sweet, you made clear that my job and the job of all other caregivers in your life is to safeguard your freedom, to run a pipe cleaner through sticky avenues so that you can continue to be exactly who you are. We are not here to change you, to add to you, to put external things in, to cure you, to mitigate differences. We are here to clear a path for your you-ness and to help others recognize the value of such you-ness.
You are an example for any and all of us who concern ourselves with judgement in the minds of others - which is truly all of us. Be who you are, do what you love, be confident in your own cleverness. That's what I call free.
Happy 7th birthday, my true and free Addison. I do not know how I came to deserve you, I know only that every single day I feel like I got away with something.
Staring FreeGirl Addie, Pop, Cate
Cameo appearances by:
Megan, Maddie, Bowling Alley, Daisy Troop 32XX, the Atlantic Ocean, Rosie, Mrs. Opelt's Class, Caden, Natalie, Inclusive Playground Campers, Audrey, Waterpark, Madeline, Carl, discarded lampshade, hotel entertainment dude, shadow, Rossi, Grace, hula hoop, Adelia, Hope, Addie's drum kit and rockin' sticks o' rhythm
10 comments:
Beautiful words and pictures....Happy Birthday, Addie! Give your mom a big hug: she's a visionary.
Beautiful and amazing as always, Terri.
Happy Birthday Addie! I'm so glad to have met you in person, and honored to be part of your birthday video (how cool is that?!) I can't wait to be 7 like you...you are doing so many cool things!
Your friend,
Natalie
Free indeed! Addie, you are so beautiful, happy, talented, outgoing, and smart! I am so happy to know you and your awesome mama. Sure wish we would have spent more time together at the conference, I sure missed out on that one!
Terri,
That was awesome! Maddymo(5) watched it with me and had questions...
what is Addie's favorite color?
Why haven't I met her?
What is Addie's middle name?
Does she know her Dad?
Does she know any one that we know? (I could answer this one...Uncle John, Aunt KT Mckenna, Teaghan and Kameryn)
Does she and did she know her grandma Joansie and grandpa Larry before he died? (This is how she worded this)
And why does she have her own laptop!? She is 7 and so are Madison and Maison and they don't even have one!!??
Maddymo would love a reply.
Again my kids want to know why I don't do this for them. All there Birthdays are gone for this year. So I'll have to suprise them and work on it for next year in my spare time.
Thanks for sharing and Happy Birthday to both of your girls,
Annette
Terri,
Occe again, you and your family take my breath away. I can't wait until I can meet your girls "again." Those pictures were so beautiful and she does look free. The love just jumps out of the pictures.
Happy Birthday Addie!
Gabrielle
Happy birthday you amazing girl!
Your tribute to your amazing girl bought lots of tears from me. I do hope we get to meet each other one day.
Kelly
Maddymo -
Addie's fave color: Yellow or any color the frosting is on any cake within her reach.
You have not met her because you are both busy women of the world - maybe one day soon.
Middle name: Hart
She knows her dad like the back of her hand, and vice versa.
Your list of who you both know is pretty accurate. She knows grandma Joansie and Grandpa Larry through the things they taught me as I grew up, things that help me be a good mom for her.
Addie has a lot of electronics, but Maddymo - you should recognize that one, your brother has the same one! It's for talking to friends and family and even sisters like you.
A few things you didn't ask, that Addie thinks you might like to know: she loves Shrek, she has a new bed, she has 1 sister, she is a great swimmer and she can play a lot of musical instruments.
Thanks for asking, Maddy! Hope to meet you one day.
Thank you!! Maddymo never thought she would get a reply. But just to clarify she meant does Addie know her Dad as in Matt? And now that I repled it for her she realizes that the talker is the same as Liam's. I played Cate's Bday video and the twins watched it again with Maddymo. I have my work cut out for me.
Hope they can meet your girls soon. They idolize them.
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