Time flies. But does it really?

You my darling child, turn 3 today. 3 years of a kind of party I could never imagine ever having chosen for myself. You’re the weeknight party complete with the wonder of how do people survive staying up so late on a work night and then don’t pass out the next morning?
Every moment with you is a lifetime of light bulb moments. You teach me SO MUCH. You slow me down and inject wonder in my veins. You make me a better human being every passing day.
You forgive me. So much. Every single day. Despite me saying to your face, Sassi I won’t love mama after what mama just did and all you say is but Mama is my best friend! Gotta teach me that yo. I love how I can never scold you or you can never annoy me. It’s always a fight. One on equal grounds. We always apologise after.
I love how you decide my clothes and accessories and are so much better at it than I have ever been. Never my strong suit. From “kaan mein kuch pehnaa nahi” to “Oooh mama, so pretty!” you’ve brought my grandmother back to life. I love how you get excited when I wear makeup. Something I actually learned when I heard you’re a girl.
How you’ve brought nail paint buying back into my life after a good few decades!
I love you not just because you’re my child but also because you’re a lovely person to be around. I often say you’re an old soul and that there’s so much you have to teach this world. I find inspiration in every move of yours. I linger before you make a decision and then forever hold a bias because you chose it.
I love how you are a storyteller. Striving for a story even in an incy wincy spider walking past you, traipsing back home to its mama.
I love how you are constantly collecting a stash that you must give me before I take a bath. Bath watercolour books, Bath Toys, a face mask, scrubs, bottles of random soap, your own tiny bath bombs, shower bombs, candles. You turn my quick showers into rituals and that’s all you.
I would never have missed having you until I got to know you but that’s a good thing because now you’re here and three years old too!
You make me want to lose my dark brown, shrivelled thumb and succeed at growing the pansies you planted yesterday.
You make me want to bake more often.
You make me want to sing all the time
You make me want to hug and love and read.
Basically. You’re constantly asking me to be 13 again.

In you I have a pocket full of sunshine that isn’t too harsh but far from down and low. It’s just the right amount of warmth and light that envelops you and holds you in a lull.

It’s only been three years yet the memory of the life before you seems distant and considerably blurred.

Can’t wait to LIVE with you. Grow up faster, shortie!
For now

Here is to the fourth year of life.
The Fourth of Nature that you are.