Katrina is twelve!

Dear Katrina,

I remember when you were a tiny little baby, being sad that you were going to grow up and change, because you were so perfect the way you were. You were just sweet and beautiful, with your little stork-bite birthmarks and your long neck and your complete floppiness and completely laidback personality. You were just adorable. I wanted you to stay that size forever. And then, when you were one, i thought that you were exactly perfect the way you were then, with your chunky little legs and your penchant for climbing onto the coffee table and then crying because you couldn't get down, and your laugh and your joyfulness. I wanted you to stay one forever, because there was no way you could get better. And every year, i think that same thing. You're just perfect at that age, and i just want you to stay exactly the way you are right now, because you can't get better.

And i still feel that way. You're so amazing. You're sweet and kind and thoughtful. You are friends with everybody. You have best friends, but you are ready and willing to befriend anybody who needs a friend. I can't remember ever hearing you say mean things about a single girl at school. You see the best in people.

You are sensitive and full of feelings, and sometimes you get melancholy without really knowing why. Sometimes you will give me or other people little notes to tell us that you love us or that we're important or whatever. I don't know if you really realize how touching it is to get those notes from you, but they're just incredibly kind.

This is your first year of middle school, which is just a hard time of life. To make it even harder, a lot of your friends left your school this year, which meant that you had to start middle school with almost no friends in your class. I was kind of worried for you, honestly. I shouldn't have been. You've handled middle school with grace. You've continued to be the kind, friendly person you've always been, and made friends with a whole new group of girls. You've had remarkably few problems this year.

You just continue to be amazing. I absolutely adore you. Part of me wants you to stay exactly as you are right now. But i have to believe that you're going to continue being the amazing girl that you are, year after year.

I love you, Katrina. Don't change too much.