My Beautiful Daughter is 16 This Weekend
People complain about teenagers. But the stereotype of a monosyllabic, door slamming, liberty taking, ungrateful teen, couldn't be further from the truth when I think of Ella. She is truly a shining light in my life, a girl with empathy, compassion and a loving heart. She is a wonderful daughter and an amazing sibling to both her older and younger siblings. She adores her grandparents and brings them such joy as she performs for them on her guitar or gives them hugs letting them know just how much she loves them.
Even as a baby, Ella had an ethereal quality, a sensitivity and delicateness that made her seem vulnerable both physically and emotionally. As a teen, she may have her demons but she also has an inner strength which I know will win through. She amazes me with her resilience and determination and we are coping with our problems together as a family. Nothing will extinguish the bright light that shines inside her, however hard it tries.
My baby girl has grown into a talented, intelligent, creative individual. She loves to draw and her bedroom walls are covered in sketches of her favourite Disney characters (alongside photos of her favourite horror film icons!) Her music fills our home. She is independent, I've never had to nag her to do homework, revise or tidy her room. She has a strong moral code and consequently is given total freedom, yet she has never betrayed our trust. I know that choices she makes are right for her at that time and I respect her decisions. She does incredibly well academically, but has a humility that I find humbling.
I sometimes thinks my kids sound too good to be true, so to balance things out, she hates kittens, spends ages doing her hair, is an absolute nightmare to hurry along in the morning and has a strange and macabre fascination for serial killers and horror films!
So, I give thanks for the child that I was blessed with sixteen years ago and celebrate the colour, complexity and richness that she has brought into our life. Ella means "bright light" (Greek origins) and I can't think of a more appropriate name for my daughter. Happy Birthday Ella xxx
Even as a baby, Ella had an ethereal quality, a sensitivity and delicateness that made her seem vulnerable both physically and emotionally. As a teen, she may have her demons but she also has an inner strength which I know will win through. She amazes me with her resilience and determination and we are coping with our problems together as a family. Nothing will extinguish the bright light that shines inside her, however hard it tries.
My baby girl has grown into a talented, intelligent, creative individual. She loves to draw and her bedroom walls are covered in sketches of her favourite Disney characters (alongside photos of her favourite horror film icons!) Her music fills our home. She is independent, I've never had to nag her to do homework, revise or tidy her room. She has a strong moral code and consequently is given total freedom, yet she has never betrayed our trust. I know that choices she makes are right for her at that time and I respect her decisions. She does incredibly well academically, but has a humility that I find humbling.
I sometimes thinks my kids sound too good to be true, so to balance things out, she hates kittens, spends ages doing her hair, is an absolute nightmare to hurry along in the morning and has a strange and macabre fascination for serial killers and horror films!
So, I give thanks for the child that I was blessed with sixteen years ago and celebrate the colour, complexity and richness that she has brought into our life. Ella means "bright light" (Greek origins) and I can't think of a more appropriate name for my daughter. Happy Birthday Ella xxx
