Dear ECS,
Happy birthday sweet girl, it is wonderful to watch your
excitement and joy about your upcoming birthday. And now it is here. You delighted in the plans for the party, in
turning three (well sometimes you liked to stretch it to five, but who can blame
you on that one?), and the pride you have expressed about being a big
girl.
What a year you have had, with the highlight and challenge
of moving across the world, into a new culture and country here in Addis and thriving
all along the way. It is not always
easy, but you sure make it look easy.
Your mom and I really appreciate, and if we are being honest count on,
your flexibility and happiness in being anywhere and everywhere. I haven’t ever seen a kid so excited about
airports, which makes me cringe inside about the carbon impact, but also makes
me so proud. Airports are great because
they take us to places we have never been, and even at the tender age of just
turned three, you and I are on the same page on that one.
The places we have been over the last year are a robust list
of places for a lifetime -- the Seychelles, skiing in Europe and Park City,
safari in Kenya, all over the US, Rwanda, London, life in Ethiopia and all
the places we have been here.
And through all that, you are ever more happy and precocious.
As your dad, all the adventure has been a highlight of our
year together. But the joy and delight
we have together on a day-to-day basis eclipses all that adventure. Putting you to bed and having long
discussions about how much we love each other, and whether we love each other
to the moon AND sun, and back, or to the moon OR sun and back, those are
moments that I could never have anticipated before becoming a parent.
This journey we are on as a family, that you are on as a
human, that I am on as a dad, that your mom is on--it is more joyful and
wonderful than any of us could have imagined.
Well maybe you had an inkling, you have been so perceptive even as a
toddler.
Enjoy your day and year,
can’t wait to see where you go and where we go.
Love,
dad
