To Evie on Your 13th Birthday

[photos to come] My beautiful Evie, You are now firmly in the teen years, and I think I am more okay with that than I thought I would be. When you were little it was hard to think about you being so grown up and especially being less attached to me. But I recognize this is a good thing, and we want nothing more for you than to be starting to pave your own path in the world and figuring out what matters to you and how you want to live your life. I have frequently received compliments from teachers and other moms about how mature and responsible you are and how pleasant it is to chat with you - you are like a little adult in many ways. I think you embrace this naturally while still feeling the freedom of this age and excitedly exploring the possibilities that lie ahead without yet knowing the full gamut of constraints that come along with adulthood. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have your “teenager-y” moments, including snide retorts, exasperated guffaws, occasional eye rolls, and utter disbelief about how little we parents understand about the world. The other stuff is mostly directed towards Eleanora, which is not okay, but it means you maintain some semblance of respect for your elders, which we appreciate. You have expanded your dance repertoire in many ways this year. You are doing your very first solo (in lyrical) at a competition in a couple weeks, and you have worked hard to train for it, along with a lyrical trio with two dance friends you’ve become close with. This is in addition to the many other group routines you’re doing, which include jazz and contemporary for the first time this year. I love that you know yourself and when you want to be challenged and when something isn’t worth it to you, though I think you still under-recognize your abilities in some ways. You radiate grace when you dance, and I hope it is as fulfilling to you to do as it is for us to watch. You have continued doing so well in school, not just with your grades and engagement in learning, but with embracing all that comes with it. You have kept your core group of friends and hang out with them here and there outside of school. You have been bitten by the orchestra bug this year, and you’ve grown a lot in your viola skills. It helps that you have an orchestra director that you really like, Mr. Pearl, and I love that he is so relatable, creates a family environment, and makes it cool to be an “orch-a-dork,” an endearment you recently taught me. You have been so dedicated to practicing and I’m pretty sure Papa and I haven’t had to remind you once to practice. You are self-driven. You’ve already had 3 concerts this year and your very first Musical Performance Assessment (MPA), at which you received a Superior! [to be completed...]