Time goes by so very fast. I would get down on my knees and beg and plead with it to slow down a bit if I knew it would listen. It seems like just yesterday my daughter Nina was born but in reality, it was five and a half years ago. Tomorrow she’ll be ten and the day after she’ll be fifteen and I’m just not ready for that yet.

I was watching videos of her when she was a baby yesterday. I watched a video of the first time she ate real food. Her eyes were so big I thought they were going to pop out of her little head and the amount of sweet potatoes on her face was probably even with the amount that went in her mouth. I watched a video of the first time she actually walked, which my brother somehow managed to get on tape. I watched a video of her going to the bathroom on her Elmo Potty and how proud of herself she was. I am so happy that I have all of these memories that I can relive. Watching them with her is even better. She laughs like a little maniac and tells me how funny she is. For a five year old, she’s pretty funny. About a month ago we were driving and the sky looked like it was going to unleash a storm of epic proportions. She said, “Mommy, the sky looks like it has to go potty real bad.” Maybe it was the way she said it, or maybe it was just her not trying to be funny and her total innocence; but I laughed so hard I had to pull over.

Nina is smart. She shows me how to work youtube and my cell phone. She speaks to me in Spanish (thanks Dora). She knows the wisdom of Martial Arts. She is counting and adding and reading like she’s in elementary school. She understands people and their feelings. I am boasting, that’s for sure; but I am amazed by this child every day.

My Daughter has this uncanny ability to make people feel better. She can sense when something is wrong, whether it be one of her friends or one of her family members. She goes above and beyond trying to help people to be happy. Not too long ago I dropped a dish on my toe which ended in a lot of blood, some screaming, and a broken appendage. Nina ran over to me on her little tippy toes which she has been doing since she could walk, put her arms around me and said, “Come on Mommy… I’ll take care of you.” She got a chair, dragged it over to the refrigerator, climbed on top of it and got me an ice pack from the freezer. Then she got a pillow and a blanket and put it on the couch and very calmly told me to lay down, put my foot up and relax. I didn’t feel like I was being helped by a five year old little girl. I felt like I was being helped by the most caring and selfless nurse I have ever met. Nina is so wise, certainly beyond her years and that amazes me too.

Yesterday, Nina’s friend came over to play. They were out on the deck blowing bubbles. Her friend asked if she could do it and Nina immediately handed it over to her, no questions asked, no snotty looks. Nina sent her home with her favorite monkey doll which emulates a real monkey and is actually kind of creepy. She remembered her friend telling her that she saw the commercial for it and really wanted one. She was going to let her have it before I intervened and said how about she just borrows it. That was good enough for them. Nina is a giver. That’s not something that will ever ago away. That’s how she was born and her altruistic nature will never falter. I just hope as she gets older, people don’t take advantage of her kindness. I know just how awful that feels and it would feel even more awful if I had to see her go through that. Maybe it’s a genetic flaw, but some people in our family have always had a difficult time standing up for themselves. I pray Nina is the opposite. Somehow I know she will be stronger than her Mom. After all, our children are supposed to be better versions of us, right?

To be continued my love. I'm sorry I haven't written in here as much as I should be. 

Your loving Mum