Dear Middle G.

How is it possible that you are turning twelve? I find myself somewhat sad about your impending journey through adolescence. I find myself struggling with the thought of you experiencing your first broken heart, your first middle school dance, and all the girl drama that is bound to accompany both.

Since your obsession of late is gymnastics, I have decided to share some life advice in the form of this theme.

Be flexible. Life has a way of throwing you down to the mat. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you don't. It's important to be flexible. To go with the flow. To think before you react.

Split your time. Find your balance. Don't spend too much time online. Don't spend too much time doing nothing. Don't spend too much time working. Don't spend too much time playing. Find your balance.

Be a bridge. You will find that girls, both young and old, come with a lot of drama. Sadly, even as grown women, some are just difficult. The best advice I can give you in dealing with this is to be the bridge. Be the person that helps dissipate the drama. Be the person that brings people together instead of the person who tears them apart.

Cartwheel even when you don't feel like it. Sometimes the only way to get out of a funk is to do something crazy.

Never be afraid to flip. I've told you countless times to step out of your comfort zone. To push yourself even if at first you're afraid.

Happy Birthday Middle G. I can't wait to see all that you can do!

Love,

Mom

Dear Oldest G.

You're 14. Congratulations. You made it another year. Sure we fought. And this won't surprise you, we're gonna fight some more. But I'd like to think that you have learned some things from me over the last fourteen years.

I know that you like to roll your eyes at me. Those very eyes that used to look at me with awe and wonder now often glare at me in contempt. That little body that used to fit so neatly inside me is now taller than me. Those hands that used to hold mine so tightly now can't be bothered to pick up their dirty laundry.

I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. Because no matter how old you get, I still see you as that curly haired cutie that used to worries that I would have fun while you were at school.

Since you still have a fondness for all things Harry Potter, this year I will offer my advice in Harry Potter quotes.

If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. Who said this? Sirius Black. What does it mean? It means that you can tell a lot on a date by how your boyfriend treats the wait staff. Remember, no one is better than you and you are better than no one.

The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing and should, therefore, be treated with caution. Spoken by Albus Dumbledore. So be cautious with your words. Be cautious in your actions. Speak the truth kindly. Refrain from intentional hurt.

Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain, said Arthur Weasley. Don't depend on Google. Don't believe it just because you read it online. Don't repeat it on Facebook without verifying it.

You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there," said Draco Malfoy. Don't let others tell you what to think. Have an opinion. Have your own ideas. Never be afraid to disagree with the pack. It's okay to think differently.

Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect. Who doesn't love Luna Lovegood? We aren't guaranteed a life free from loss or pain. Often it is these losses or pains that help us grow. They help us become the people we are meant to be.

Take chances.

Take risks.

Don't sit on the sidelines.

Try something new.

Step out of your comfort zone.

Make a difference.

All my love, always and forever.

~Mom



1. Be yourself. “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Don't listen to people who try to make you into something you are not. Go against the current.


2. You are better than no one and no one is better than you. “A person's a person, no matter how small.” It is important to remember that no matter how big your wallet becomes that without someone willing to pick up the trash we would all drown in our own waste.


3. Care deeply about something other than yourself. Our world is self centered. It's all about what can I do for me. How can I get ahead. Promise me that you will take time to realize that IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”


4. Life is less about what happens and more about how you react. "I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” Don't sit around wallowing in self pity. Take action. If you don't like your life, change it. If you don't like your job, do something else. If life deals you a bad hand, play it through the best you can.


5. Make your own path. Don't be a follower. Be a leader. Don't settle. "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go."


6. Don't take yourself too seriously. Laugh a lot. Make friends with people who bring out the best in you. “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.”


7. Never stop reading. When we read we stimulate parts of our brain that can't be touched any other way. It helps us to learn better, to communicate better and to just be better. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”


8. Life goes by pretty fast. To paraphrase Ferris, if you don't stop and look around you might miss it. Remember that no one is guaranteed a tomorrow. Live in the present. “How did it get so late so soon?"


9. There is someone out there just for you. Don't worry if it takes awhile to find them. You'll know when you do. “We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”


10. Keep your eyes open. Opportunities are all around you. “You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut"


11. Life is a series of memories. Some will be good. Some will be not so good. The important thing to remember is that without these memories, without these experiences we wouldn't be the people we are today. “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened"