My Birth Daughter's Annual Birthday Letter

Dear McKenna:

So in two days you will be the big "1-0", double digits birthday, your tenth.

Anyway, I was very excited when I was your age to be turning ten years old. It's a big deal.

I remember on my tenth birthday I had a slumber party and one of the gifts I got was something called a Lemon Twist. It was this big fake lemon attached to a cord-like thing with a loop and you put it around your ankle and swung it around by your ankle, jumping in and out of it. Now that I think about it, sounds kinda weird but at the time it was very fun and popular.

I hear you're having a skating party which I know will be a blast for you. I remember a long time ago your dad Larry said to Vicki, "You should see your daughter on skates," meaning you were good. I started skating when I was six or so and quickly loved it like you do. We used to go skating all the time at Crescent Skating Rink. The party will be a nice memory you can keep for a long time like I did when I had a skating party for my eighth or ninth birthday. I still have a picture from it.

I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately about the past ten years. I ran into another birth mom the other night who I was with at Gladney and she said she couldn't believe it had been ten years. Me neither. To think one minute you were just a little baby in my arms and the next you're tap dancing, cheerleading, getting straight "A's" is just something to marvel at. And I do a lot.

This birth mom, Samantha, who I ran into, is now married with two kids. Her oldest, who she parented as a single mom, is now 19 and in the army and loves it. After she placed her daughter for adoption in 2000 like me, she later married and had two children. Time went on and though she no longer hears from her birth daughter's adoptive parents, she still loves her birth daughter very much. You never leave our hearts.

And every time I hear a story like hers about how she never gets pictures any more or letters with no explanation, I realize and am so grateful how lucky I am. I can't imagine not seeing your smiling face. Even in pictures.

I wish I could convey to you all the things I wish for you. Right now as I write this I am happy deep in my heart for the life you live.

You are so much different than I was at your age. You are outgoing and lively and so much fun! You will understand this one day but, as corny as it sounds, you feed my spirit. That's a good thing.

Visits with you do my heart good, always lift me up, lift my spirits, and I realize again how lucky I am.

I hope you have a great birthday full of wonder and delight and all the joy your heart can hold.

Love,
Terri