My Birth Daughter's 12th Birthday Letter by Terri Rimmer, 2012

McKenna's Annual Birthday Letter

Tears come to my eyes for some reason this time, writing your annual letter for your birthday, your 12th now.
You've done so much with your little life so far – mastered an Adele song, swam and danced with the dolphins, made the newspaper some more, published your second book (which left me in awe of your growing creativity). Your young mind amazes me as does your gentle, yet spunky spirit.
I'm so glad you got to have the experience of swimming with the dolphins like I did because they are so
spiritual in nature, or at least I found them to be – as all animals are.
God has created in you such a spark, a spontaneity, generosity, breath of life that all of us could aspire to be. You bring good thoughts of my happy times of childhood – the fearlessness, wonderment, curiosity, and sheer joy in just being a child and exploring all that is out there and all that lies before me – all that I can be.
And you can be anything!
When I look at you I see so much hope, appropriate to your middle name.
I was at the post office the other day, mailing your birthday gift and I happened to be wearing that McKenna's Place t-shirt. A woman walked up to me, admiring the shirt and told me she had a daughter named McKenna, too. That's the second time I've ran into someone there who has a daughter with your name.
You have so much love in your life and I am happy for that from the bottom of my heart to the tips of my toes.
I always brag about you to my friends and family - your last accomplishments, something funny you might have said, and I've added to the photo gallery since you've been to my house.
Every time I see you it fills my heart like a hot air balloon floating up into the sky, taking flight over the clouds floating over the mountains – happy.

I want everything for you – not necessarily a bunch of material things but things like hope, faith, compassion, optimism, and peace. You already have so many traits that I didn't have at your age. You are thoughtful beyond belief, so much more so than I was at your age. You really think about things and mull them over and I'm so proud of you for that. You think about others and your heart is open.
I hope with all of my heart that it's always that way for you. That's what I want more than anything.
With you in the world a lot of people's hearts are happier, I know. You bring so much happiness to your home.
Sometimes I have dreams about you and when you're old enough to read this letter and understand, you'll know what I mean when I say that they're spiritual dreams where you're laughing and smiling. I wake up with a smile on my face.
I hope you have a great birthday and I know you will be surrounded by lots of love. I will be thinking about you.
Love,
Terri



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

McKenna's Annual Thanksgiving Letter

Nov. 22, 2018 Dear McKenna: Eighteen years ago I sat down to write your very first Thanksgiving letter when I was 34 years old and you were spending your first Thanksgiving with your mom and dad. I was working as a data entry operator, living with a roommate, the re-make of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” with Jim Carey just came out, and I had a Tonkinese cat named Chaplin and a mutt, Ripley who charmed everyone. I remember when I sat down to write that letter at my roommate’s computer looking out at his French door windows at his back yard and all the emotions I was feeling at the time – imagining you with your family at Thanksgiving, happy that you were safe and warm in your new home, content that I had made the right decision, and thankful that I could sit down and type those words to you. I had always promised myself that every birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas I would sit down and write a letter to you and though I missed a couple, which I reg...
Read more

What Would I Do If I Got a Second Chance? by Terri Rimmer - originally published by Associated Content, 2010

I wouldn't have given "me" away in  relationships  and in the desperate pursuit to be loved. Do you know if you or someone you love has the symptoms of sexual dependency? According to a a Sexual Dependency Program brochure from Coral Ridge Psychiatric Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, FL behavior patterns of those suffering from sexual dependency may include but are not limited to multiple extramarital affairs and repeated incidents of sexual harassment among others. "My sex addiction was not something that was easily talked about, and when I did talk about it I was told to '˜stop my denial process and concentrate on my allergy to alcohol.' I was told time and again, '˜Don't drink and go to (AA) meetings,'" says David R. "I became abstinent from alcohol. I am now experiencing a level of sobriety that in the past I could only have wished for. We who are recovering from the shame of sexual addiction are truly miracles." According to...
Read more

Published Letter in Fort Worth Weekly - May 2010

Unhealthy Costs 0 Posted May 26, 2010 by John Q. Public in  News To the editor:  Fort Worth Weekly ’s recent cover story, “ The Cost of Staying Alive ” (May 5, 2010),  showed the true picture of the healthcare reform and really hit home for me. My asthma inhaler is $84, even with  Medicare , so I have to get samples from the doctor, but there are limits to that too. Now I’ve read that a lot of doctors like mine are jumping ship and will no longer accept Medicare due to the health reform bill. Then there is my 9-year-old daughter, whom I had to place for adoption because I couldn’t take care of her. She’s had a feeding tube since she was two years old, due to food aversion, but the insurance company won’t cover her dental expenses though they are directly related to her medical condition. Luckily her adoptive parents are both nurses, but even they struggle sometimes with the costs related to her care. Thank you for letting others see through a ...
Read more