last day of 14

 today is your last day of 14.

this was by far the craziest year of your life. it was 2020 after all. a global pandemic. an election year. civil unrest. black lives matter. you turned 14 just 2 weeks after quarantine began. we were all adjusting to the new normal then. fearful to go outside. school became fully remote. all friend contact became contained to screens. we (naively) believed this was temporary and we'd be beyond it "soon". now here i sit, a full year later, and sadly not much has changed. we do know better now how to protect ourselves and others. our small family unit has stayed safe and healthy.  i do finally feel hope for this year ahead (thank you vaccines).  through it all you've handled it with patience and grace. you've never complained about masking up, staying home, keeping others and yourself safe. you have sacrificed so much. you've witnessed some of the worst behavior of humankind this year. i hope the lesson of this mad/sad year is how connected we all are, and when someone suffers we all lose. how we must do better, be better, and make real lasting change. if the future looks more like you, i'm all in. 

i'm always proud of you, but so much more so this year.

14 was:

• shaving you head.
• playing hangman on a white board with our neighbors.
• remote school to end your middle school days
• a parking lot graduation 
• among us (pink is SUS) even dressed up for halloween as pink
• animal crossing 
• the summer of tie dye and bleach dip
• in fall we returned to in person school, your first year of high school. it looked very different from anything we had known.  masks. fully distanced. no cafeteria tables. no activities. you have a heavy honors class load and have been crushing it all year even with all the challenges.
• the presidential election and how you danced when biden was finally announced the winner.
• you sewed a quilt top.
• you painted and redecorated your whole bedroom
• knit a hat
• you had a covid test (so far the only one in our little household to do so)
• still vegetarian 
• you love thai milk bubble tea, spring rolls, BTS, learning a new language, art, the Umbrella Academy, especially Klaus❤️, POSE, succulents... your favorite color is green, favorite food stuffed shells, favorite song "Dare" by gorillaz, favorite movie is still Howl's Moving Castle, like playing Valorant with your brother.
• still dreams of going abroad. her recent interests are Spain, and Italy, though Japan would still be her #1 choice. 
• i call her my tiny activist, sometimes angry activist. she whole heartedly believes in rights for all and will no doubt fight for them. 
• the year of hoodies, but also lacy socks with platform mary janes, fishnets with your doc martens, cardigans and crop tops. 

i love you kid.

you inspire me.

you keep me on my toes.

when you laugh, it lights up a whole room. 

always go for your dreams.

fight for justice and equality.

you make the world better.

i hope 15 is less stressful, safer, and oh so beautiful.

love, merm