Sophia's First Birthday

Today is my magical neice's first birthday. Her wise mother has made a request to the God parents of her child. Every year we will write a letter to the baby. I will track those letters in this blog. So here is letter 1, The First Year.

June 30, 2009

My dear Sophia,

You don’t know this but you are celebrating your first birthday. Years from now you will look back and think Wow, all that happened when I wasn’t even cognizant. Which is why your beautiful and smart mother thought it would be wise to write a letter to you every birthday. So the three of us, your fairy God mothers – Aunty Polly, Aunty Patty & Aunty Rekha will write a letter every birthday.

I think it’s brilliant. You will see not only how our letters change as you grow from babyhood to teenager to adult. But also how we alter as we, alas, grow older.

There are a few things you should know from the beginning. First of all, you are a magical child. You were conceived, gestated and birthed by extraordinary means. Ask your mom what those words mean in case she hasn’t already had a talk about the birds and the bees.

Your Mom wanted to have a baby for a very long time. But the forces thought it wise to prevent that baby from arriving. You will learn more about the forces as you grow. You will hear about God, about angels, Goddesses in due time. Know they are with you always. If you require their assistance all you need do is ask. So your Mom couldn’t have the baby she wanted and this broke her heart for she is a loving, nurturing, mothering woman. Then one day when she least expected it she found out she was going to have a baby. She was shocked and delighted. This is another thing you will learn, you don’t always get what you want when you want. It’s the law of the universe. I have fought it most of my life as have your aunties. Safe to say the sooner you accept this law, the less time you will spend fighting it.

And then you were born.

You get your beauty from your Mom. You get your gray-green eyes from your Dad. But if I’m not mistaken, you get that irresistible allure, the thing that makes people stop and say Ye Gads, what a charming baby! from your female lineage. It is a powerful and beautiful and mystical and emotional ancestry that you are born into. I hope as you grow you will cherish and ruthless use it, for it is yours. As we are yours to guide, adore and spoil you.

So happy birthday Sophia. Know you are loved by so many people that if we could we would shield you from any pain. We would protect you from any harm on this earth, above or below it. But we will also try to leave you alone so you can taste the glories and miseries of this world. Welcome little one.

Aunty Rekha