to my daughter on her ninth birthday

Holdy, H, H-bomb, Dirt, Bridge Troll,

We’ve had… a lot… going on lately, so I’m writing this to you from my phone at our campsite waiting for you to wake up this morning. You, my child, are not a morning person (neither am I, so no judgment.)

This past year has required a lot of resiliency, a lot of grace, and a lot of together time. You adapted well to the quarantine because this was the year you really discovered TikTok and video games and seem to actually prefer never leaving the house.

You like anime, making ASMR videos, Starbucks drinks, and YouTube hacks. I forget if you prefer the term “e-girl,” or “alt,” and you have no interest in hearing about what “alternative” meant when I was a kid.

You love the various Pride flags and know all their meanings and you’ve told me that you identify as a potato. You point out injustices when you see them. Usually it’s when your brother gets something that you don’t, but you do seem to have an activist mindset and hopefully you’ll eventually use your ODD to smash the patriarchy and stop fighting me.

Your personal style remains unmatched. We recently got some bleached blonde strips added to your hair so we can dye them funky colors. You love to paint your nails and have been trending towards black nail polish of late.

You are just uniquely you and you quite literally don’t give a shit who doesn’t like it.

We completed Pal’s Park this year, after two years of fundraising and then construction. You were invited to speak at the ribbon cutting, Rotary Club and York Young Professionals about your project. You are a poised and confident public speaker and it was a very proud moment for all of us.

And… not too long ago we lost our beloved Duke. You were so sweet with him once he got really sick: kissing his forehead, rubbing his hair, sitting and talking with him. You have an empathetic and caregiving soul buried deep inside you that I can’t wait to see more of.

We’re all very proud of you, Potato. Love you lots and can’t wait to see you continue to grow and evolve. Happy Birthday!